Sainz Denies Williams Deal, Vowles Confident for 2025
Jul.29 - Carlos Sainz has denied reports that he has now signed with Williams for 2025 - although the Oxfordshire-based team's boss sounds very confident.
The Ferrari refugee has been the centrepiece of the F1 driver 'silly season' this season, as he weighs up offers from Williams, Sauber-Audi and Alpine - whilst hoping for a top team opportunity at Mercedes or Red Bull.
The latter outcome now seems ruled out, while Alpine is in tatters and even self-scrapping its works Formula 1 program. "There are too many problems," lamented the continuing Alpine driver Pierre Gasly on Sunday.
"The steering wheel wasn't even straight on the car. We lost 7 tenths every lap with engine temperature problems and there were too many mistakes over the last three weekends.
"It's going to be very important to pull ourselves together during this summer break," Gasly told Canal Plus. "We're going to have to talk together and resolve these problems very quickly."
Sainz is also believed to be turned off by the management turmoil at Audi, with the German marque's team Sauber still yet to score a single point in 2024.
Williams, however, is only 4 points ahead of Sauber. "We haven't had anything new all year," said the team's continuing driver Alex Albon. "We're so far behind the pack.
"Hopefully we'll be more competitive after the break."
Nonetheless, Williams boss James Vowles' vision for the future - and willingness to give Sainz the top-team exit clauses he desires - seem to have won the 29-year-old over.
His father Carlos Sainz snr and cousin Carlos Onoro Sainz - Sainz's management team - were spotted leaving a meeting with Vowles at Spa last Friday.
But is it a done deal for 2025?: "No, I'm not with any team yet and I haven't announced anything," Sainz told Sky Deutschland after the Belgian GP.
"I'm looking forward to the summer break, having some time for myself and hearing this question again - like every weekend for the last six months," the Ferrari driver smiled.
Vowles, however, is very confident. "More than 50 percent," the Williams boss told reporters on Sunday when asked about the likelihood of securing Sainz's signature.
"I would say the odds are on our side, but I've said that once this year, so we'll see."
Vowles confirmed that Williams' major competitor to securing Sainz is Renault-owned Alpine. "Carlos has one of the biggest brands in the world wanting him and that's hard to turn down, especially as - let's be honest - they've beaten us recently.
"It's a tough thing to turn down. They won a race not too long ago and I can see the perspective," he added. "He said to me that when he commits, he has to do it with all his heart and soul, and cannot have any doubts.
"That's why he's taking his time and that resonated a lot with me," said Vowles.
When asked if it's possible a deal could be announced with a week, he concluded: "In principle, yes."
But when asked the same question late on Sunday, Sainz answered: "I don't know, I can't say.
"It's time to rest during these holidays - that's what matters," he told DAZN.
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How in the name of all that's holy can RB keep Checo and say no to Sainz. It's one of the biggest downsides of F1 knowing that some of the best drivers get over looked in favour of the richest or best connected etc
Official now.
RB keeping Perez is the clearest sign that RB has somehow lost the plot on the WCC.
No point in Carlos denying it any longer, the cat is out of the bag confirming he has been signed by Williams!
IMO Red Bull's decision to retain Checko will cost them this season's WCC. There must be a lot of sponsorship money brought to the table by Checko from Mexican interests, with the condition that Checko is retained. One of the down sides of sponsorship money in F1 that excludes greater younger talent from an opportunity.
Whether her stays 1yr or 2yrs , which i doubt, i think its a very bad decision,, the last time a top driver switched to a lower midfield team--and thats putting it kindly was Damon Hill to Arrows and that was for the money , otherwise Top Drivers-- if thats what we are saying Sainz is, just dont go to teams way down the order unless its there last throw in f1-but with CS thats not the case, so i can only think its a stepping stone nomatter what he or JV or the press release says
Did he have any option?
if he ignored Audi , I believe he didnt have any other 2-3yr options no, Williams can Imo say, oh yes but once weve got the weight down , well be a front running team , Oh if only it was as easy as that, and the latest news is they are ignoring 2025 to concentrate on 2026 cars, so that bodes well... , sounds a bit like Mercedes thinking when they were in a hole with there cars, it took them 2.5 yrs and that was with Emperor Torger and Princess Leah in the team