The stage was set. It was the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix and the Circuit de Catalunya had played host to the last Williams win with Pastor Maldonado back in 2012. It was also the home race for Carlos Sainz Jnr and the paddock was expecting the big announcement that the Spaniard would be joining the Williams team.

However, the weekend came and went and the hastily scribbled press releases ended up in the bin as Carlos appeared to have had a change of heart.

The word was that Flavio Briatore, recently appointed as Alpine ‘special consultant’, had been performing shuttle diplomacy between the team and Sainz’s representatives during the Grand Prix weekend. Briatore floated the notion that Alpine were in line for a Mercedes engine deal for 2025, something which would be attractive to the departing Ferrari driver.

 

 

 

Big Spain disappointment

The intervening month has seen copious speculative articles on where Carlos Sainz will lay his hat next year, but one thing is certain his apparent indecision is making other drivers nervous as their future is dependent on where the Spaniard ends up.

Williams appear to be lining up a back up for Sainz in the form of ex-Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, yet the historic British Racing marque for now is hanging on to see if they can secure the signature of the Ferrari driver.

Along with Alpine and Williams, Sauber Audi have been courting Carlos’ attention and the sacking yesterday of Andreas Seidl and the appointment of ex-Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto to oversee the German brands F1 project, may be the persuasive factor that has been missing which seals the deal in Sainz’s mind.

While Charles Leclerc was always Ferrari’s favourite son, Binotto had recruited Sainz from McLaren four years ago and the Spaniard was public in his support for his boss when the announcement was made Binotto was leaving the Scuderia.

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Sainz on good terms with Binotto

“Grazie Mattia,” Carlos Sainz posted on social media, “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside you to push the team and ourselves forward through thick and thin. Thanks for the great memories and moments we shared in and out of a racing track and all the best in your future endeavours.”

Carlos is holding out in the hope that either Red Bull or Mercedes will offer him an opportunity, although the mood music in the paddock last weekend was playing the tune of Mercedes’ junior driver Kimi Antonelli.

For the third weekend in a row Valtteri Bottas was questioned by the media for an update on his future and again the Finnish driver sighed replying, “Still waiting – Maybe for Carlos [Sainz], but maybe not.

“At some point I don’t think everyone is going to probably wait for him, but I’m still waiting for something,” said Bottas, implying certain teams have set deadlines for Sainz to decide.

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William want a ‘committed’ driver

Sainz is the more obvious choice currently for Williams given his recent race wins last year in Singapore and then this season in Australia. The Spaniard recovered in less than two weeks from appendicitis to claim victory down under in Albert Park which brings his number of podiums level with his team mate this year – both Ferrari drivers now have five.

However, Williams under James Vowles are ploughing a new furrow in F1, with “hundreds of millions being invested by their owners to upgrade their ageing facilities in Grove. Vowels wants drivers who are both experienced and committed to the project under way with the team and he won’t wait forever.

“I think we’ve been fairly forthright and open on who we’d like to sign, but that doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen,” Vowles told TalkSport.

“We know where we place in the grand scheme of things. What I would say is this, what I want is a driver that also wants to be a part of our journey, that wants to really, understands what Williams is about, both the old and the new, and wants that to be at the heart of what they’re doing driving wise.

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Sainz holding all the cards

Vowles explains he has put his neck on the line in joining Williams when he was potentially in line to replace Toto Wolff at Mercedes in the future. Further in recent years Williams have bloodied Mercedes junior drivers coming into F1 and no longer should drivers see a spell with the team should be a “stepping stone.”

“That’s not what I see at all. I left Mercedes to come here. The reason why I did is not because I’m bored of winning, but rather I want to invest in something that’s my own, that has my fingerprint on it, and the fingerprint of a thousand other people working in this organisation, and the fingerprint of Alex [Albon] that would join us on that journey.”

“That’s important to me. It’s important to him [Albon]. And I want that to be at the foundation of another [drivers] decision.”

Bottas is a solid choice for Williams with his ten Grand Prix race wins which compare to just three for Carlos Sainz. But the Finnish driver admits he’s now getting “nervous” as the wait to resolve his future drags on from week to week.

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Bottas has “no idea”

When quizzed how long he expects to wait before a decision is made, Bottas was candid over the lack of clarity he has at present. “That’s a very good question,” he replied. “If I’m honest, I was hoping that things would be sorted before this weekend [in Hungary], because there was a weekend off. 

“I still gotta wait for a bit, but I don’t have a clear answer for how long.

“Obviously, for me, I’m getting to the point that hopefully sooner [rather] than later. As everyone knows, if things drag on to the August break – after the August break it can start to become quite nerve-racking.”

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Dominoes yet to fall

Whenever Carlos makes the announcement of his future team, the dominos will then fall quickly. Red Bull may axe Perez and give Ricciardo to the end of the season, promoting Liam Lawson into the RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

Ocon is apparently deep in conversation with Haas F1, given Kevin Magnussen has been told his deal will not be renewed for next season.

Sauber/Audi will take either Sainz or Bottas should the Spaniard decide his future is elsewhere.

Mercedes are waiting to the last minute to decide on whether to promote Antonelli but recent praise from Toto Wolff stated he believed Mick Schumacher “deserves a seat in F1.”

Alpine face walk out over eking supply doubts

 

 

 

Red Bull simulations predict SHOCK for Verstappen in Spa

Max Verstappen can join an exclusive club this weekend in Spa by winning the race in Belgium for the fourth consecutive time. This feat was last achieved by the great Ayrton Senna and a win for the current world champion would see him just two wins less at the iconic circuit than Michael Schumacher (6) and Max would join Senna, Jim Clark, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton each of whom have won here four times.

Yet there are problems ahead for Max. Inclement weather forecast for qualifying on Saturday makes the starting grid more of a lottery than when dry. Further, as TJ13 reported earlier today Max will be taking engine penalties of at least a ten place grid drop.

This has not concerned Verstappen previously as in 2022 he elected to take grid drop penalties but climbed from P14 at the start to the lead of the race by lap 18… READ MORE