The nice thriller of the F1 driver market by 2025! After leaving Ferrari on the finish of the yr, Carlos Sainz has lastly signed for the Williams workforce, with whom he has signed a multi-season contract that can embrace 2026, when Components 1 will launch new technical and engine rules.
After Ferrari introduced Hamilton and when it turned clear that Pink Bull and Mercedes had different plans than signing the Spaniard, Audi stepped ahead and admitted that he was their precedence. Then Williams did the identical, and gave the impression to be extra within the chance, however later an fascinating supply from Alpine appeared that made Audi and Williams begin to see the potential of securing his companies as a distant prospect.
Nevertheless, the weeks glided by and Sainz continued to weigh up his choices, conscious that a big a part of his future in Components 1 was at stake and that he couldn’t make a false step or take a call that would depart him with any sort of doubt. And now, on the primary day of the class’s summer season break, Sainz will be capable to get pleasure from his break with the peace of thoughts of getting resolved the panorama for subsequent yr and the next years.
Already this weekend in Spa, James VowlesWilliams boss Vowles mentioned that they had a greater probability than ever of signing Sainz, saying that they had a “greater than 50% probability” of doing so, which was truly 100% as a result of the deal was solely agreed in the previous few days. Whereas there have been rumours in some quarters of a clause that might enable Williams to permit Sainz to signal for one more workforce if a proposal was made for 2026, Vowles denied this.
It has not been confirmed till what yr Sainz has signed with Williams, however the announcement says it is going to be “for 2025, 2026 and past”.
Carlos Sainz would be the second Spanish driver to race with Williams, after Marc Gené contested his final three F1 races with them in 2004. Or maybe we must always say that Sainz would be the third, as a result of Emilio de Villotawho in 1980 had purchased a Williams FW07 for Components Aurora, managed to qualify for the Spanish GP, however after the FISA-FOCA struggle a number of producers withdrew from that occasion and the race turned non-qualifying for the world championship. De Villota, nevertheless, retired in the course of the race with issues. Earlier than, in 1976, Emilio Zapico He was going to compete within the Spanish GP with Williams, however he didn’t qualify.
Sainz’s teammate at Williams might be Alexander Albon, who has already been with the historic workforce for 3 seasons and who additionally renewed his contract for a number of years final Could.
Sainz’s statements:
