Rumors suggest Carlos Sainz may become Williams F1’s lead, a notion Damon Hill doubts.
There have been whispers of various clauses that might provide Carlos Sainz with an escape route or even the status of lead driver at Williams F1 in the coming years, potentially sidelining Alex Albon.
Dr. Helmut Marko, who has been in talks with Carlos Sainz regarding a potential seat at Red Bull, is the latest to fuel such speculation.
“It’s understandable that Carlos Sainz has chosen Williams, because what are the alternatives? Audi certainly won’t be one of them next year if you consider their current form [as Sauber]. And with Alpine, it’s uncertain whether they will have the Mercedes engine in 2025 or 2026. I would say it was always the best solution for him given his circumstances. Of course, it’s tragic that he’s having his best season at Ferrari and yet he can’t secure a seat in a top team.”
“Things should move forward at Williams, where he’ll have a powerful engine. And he would have a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if he received an offer from a significantly better-placed team.”
Naturally, Marko is certainly in a position to know whether such a clause exists since it’s the role of managers to report these to potential teams!
James Vowles, the team principal, recently lamented some baseless speculation.
“There are precisely ten people in the world who know the exact content of the contract. Carlos’s team and I know what it contains,” stated Vowles. “Everything you have read on the internet is just speculation, and that is all.”
“There are only a handful of people in the world who know what we are talking about. And this does not even include team members. And it certainly isn’t the journalists outside this motorhome.”
Damon Hill addressed these matters on the F1 Nation podcast, expressing skepticism towards the rumor of a request for number one status within the team.
“He definitely has exit clauses but they’re likely well-negotiated on both sides. It’s clear a significant financial investment was made to bring him on board, not for him to leave after just a year.”
“Regarding the other rumor, I don’t believe he will join the team assuming or desiring to be treated as number one.”
“I don’t think that’s in his character. I believe he would merely want to be on an equal footing, no less than what the other guy receives, but I doubt he would seek superiority over Alex. I don’t think that would suit him.”
“I would be surprised if that were included in the contract. I mean, take Ayrton Senna and [Alain] Prost, for instance. They never stipulated in their contract that they would receive at least equal equipment to their teammate.”
“A perfect match” for Williams?
The 1996 World Champion is convinced that the pairing of Albon and Sainz will be ideal for his former team, as both drivers are highly talented, increasingly consistent, and know how to collaborate.
“The dynamic, how it would work with Alex… that’s also very important, putting together two people who can work in tandem in a team like Williams at its current stage, you need these guys to work together.”
“I think they make a perfect combination. I can see both of them, they are quite mature, competitive, and hardworking individuals. I think they will complement each other wonderfully. Carlos has stature.”
“I think that’s what people sense about him. He’s also a hard worker. I know him and his father well, and they are serious people. They don’t take Formula 1 as some kind of amusement. Carlos works hard and he lives up to it.”
“I was looking at an Instagram post from F1, called the average finishing positions, and I believe it’s since the start of this season, the average finishing position this season, Verstappen is at 2.4.”
“So his average position is second and a half. And just behind him, there’s Carlos Sainz. So Carlos typically extracts the maximum from a weekend. There’s no doubt James has all the data on Carlos, his performance and all that.”
- You may also like>Verstappen’s Measured View on Red Bull’s Engine Future
- Following us on>Facebook and>Twitter
Damon Hill Skeptical of Sainz’s No.1 Status Rumors at Williams Damon Hill Skeptical of Sainz’s No.1 Status Rumors at Williams
