As Formula One prepares to return after the summer break, the driver market is set to break open. Most column inches this season have focused on what Max Verstappen will do, seeing him as the hole in the dyke which is being temporarily plugged.
The Mercedes Dilemma: Is Toto Wolff Waiting in the Wings?
Yet does Max Verstappen really have anywhere to go? Despite the very public courting of Max Verstappen last year, Toto Wolff at least appears to be chastened somewhat by how his drivers—in particular George Russell—were hung out to dry.
Yet Toto has a habit of changing his mind. Last season in Melbourne, he had this to say about recruiting Max Verstappen:
“I think we’ve said it pretty clearly last year, and he [Verstappen] said the same. We need to concentrate on our driver line-up, we need to do the best that we can. I don’t flirt outside if I’m in a good relationship, and that is true for this year, too. At the moment, that [pursuing Verstappen] is not on any radar. I don’t like to shift my concentration away from these guys [Russell and Antonelli].”
So it’s not beyond the realms of imagination that should Verstappen decide it’s time to leave Red Bull, Toto will be waiting for his autograph. Over the summer shutdown, reports have emerged that Carlos Sainz has refused to sign a new contract with Williams. If true, then he has an option elsewhere for next season.
Red Bull’s Midfield Struggles and the Sainz Option
The Spaniard was forced out of Ferrari following the decision by the Scuderia to recruit Lewis Hamilton. And the obvious move, it seemed amongst paddock folk, would be to replace the failing Sergio Pérez at Red Bull.
Yet Christian Horner was not keen on reigniting some baggage between the parents Sainz and Verstappen—and so passed on the offer. The result was disastrous. In came Liam Lawson and then Yuki Tsunoda, who struggled all season alongside Verstappen, finishing the year in only P17.
Of course, Red Bull decided to promote from within, and for both them and their sister team Racing Bulls, the driver line-ups are working well. Yet if Verstappen were to leave, Red Bull would be forced to recruit an experienced driver to replace him.
With Horner now gone and the top teams’ driver line-ups all mapped out, it could be Laurent Mekies sees Sainz as the asset he always would have been. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Ralf Schumacher reveals how the Spaniard is definitely looking for a move away from Williams:
“I’m curious to see what happens with Sainz. Apparently, he has turned down an offer from Williams. Could that perhaps be linked to the possibility of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull? Oscar Piastri has lost some of his prestige and shine. Or could Sainz even be heading to Audi?”
Trouble at Grove: The FW48 Misstep
Things have changed significantly since Sainz joined for the 2025 season, where he claimed two podium finishes late in the season. This year, the Grove-based team have got it badly wrong with the FW48, with reports swirling that James Vowles was not properly prepared to run a team building a completely new concept of car.
“The situation at Williams is tense. The team made a major mistake with the car. Vowles, who for the first time had the opportunity to build a car from scratch under the new regulations, clearly did not prepare adequately. There will definitely be clashes there as well,” Schumacher reveals.
After a desperate start to his Williams career in 2025, Carlos rallied after the summer break, bringing home two podium finishes for the historic British team. Yet the promise of the move to Williams was based on the opportunities for 2026 and how the once-mighty Williams would once again rise to the top of the pile.
Instead, Carlos is struggling at the back of the field, battling to make it into Q2 each week with the likes of Aston Martin and newcomers Audi. This was not what he signed up for, and at 31 years of age, the clock is ticking for the talented Spaniard.
Is Audi the Real Escape Hatch for Sainz?
Yet it may not be Red Bull which Sainz believes is properly an open door, but in fact Audi, whom he shunned along with Alpine with his move to Williams. While the head of Audi F1, Mattia Binotto, has backed his current driver line-up, there are questions over Nico Hülkenberg’s future with the team.
He trails his inexperienced teammate Gabriel Bortoleto by 10 points to 2, and when both cars have finished a Grand Prix this season, the tally is 6-3 in favour of the Brazilian.
Audi, too, are on the up after a difficult start to the year, but unlike the other engine manufacturers, have declared they will only use their power unit development allowance for 2027. Yet for the remainder of this year, they have four major chassis upgrades planned which the team believes will haul them firmly into the midfield.
Williams, on the other hand, have a complete B-spec chassis planned to debut during September’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Team boss James Vowles claims, “You’ll see quite a major change.”
The October Deadline: Verstappen Holds the Key
Refusing to sign a contract is a serious decision for a driver, and it usually means they are fairly assured of another opportunity being in the bag. There are paddock rumours that Haas F1 are unhappy with Esteban Ocon, and the Frenchman may be dropped for 2027.
Yet for Sainz, this would be another sideways move, and he is unlikely to ditch Williams to move to F1’s kit car racing team. Once again, it appears Verstappen is the cork in the bottle, but reports from the Netherlands suggest he has until October to decide his future with Red Bull Racing.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
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Nothing has actually been established about the Sainz claim & if anything, based on Marca’s reporting, his Williams continuation could be announced on the Thursday before the Dutch GP.
He simply doesn’t have any other options since both Audi & Alpine are happy with their drivers, while Alonso isn’t about to retire yet & Max isn’t actually about to leave.
In reality, Camara replacing Ocon is the only change I can see happening.