Williams, one of the F1 teams, is making waves with news that Carlos Sainz might join their ranks for the 2025 season. Sky Sports commentator David Croft revealed that after speaking with Sainz’s representatives, the decision for Sainz boils down to either Williams or Audi.
With Sainz set to leave Ferrari at the end of the season to make way for Lewis Hamilton, the rumor mill has been buzzing. Sainz’s impressive performance, including a win at the Australian Grand Prix, made him a hot commodity. However, with Sergio Perez renewing his contract with Red Bull for two more years, one of the prime competitive seats was taken off the table for Sainz.
Croft believes that securing Sainz would be a significant achievement for Williams. He praised Team Principal James Vowles’ strategic abilities, noting that a partnership between Sainz and Alex Albon would be one of the strongest driver line-ups Williams has had in years.
Croft shared his thoughts on a Sky Sports F1 podcast: ‘Arguably the strongest driver line-up that Williams have had in my time commentating on Formula 1, quite frankly. I think it would be fantastic. James [Vowles] is a very, very inspiring person. He has a strategy, as you would expect for a man that ran the strategy at Mercedes for so many years successfully. He knows that nothing is going to happen overnight, it’s going to take a little while, and he is selling a dream. He sold a dream to Alex Albon. Not just him, I think Alex also has a lot of faith in that Mercedes power unit for 2026.’
When it comes to choosing between Audi and Williams, Croft emphasizes it’s not about the money for Sainz. He explained that Sainz is weighing the future vision of both teams. Audi, while successful in world motorsport, is an unknown entity in Formula 1. Williams, on the other hand, has a storied past in F1 despite recent struggles.
‘Personally, hand on heart, I think he’ll go to Williams,’ Croft said. ‘He probably can’t see the Audi vision at the moment because there’s not much to tell. They haven’t taken over at Sauber, they are building power units, but that’s it. And if James Vowles gets him, then fair play to James Vowles. Last year, I said he was my team principal of the year. I might have to put him in the shortlist for 2024 as well because that would be a major coup and a brilliant driver line-up that could power that team for many years to come.’
Should Williams manage to sign Sainz, it would mark a notable milestone for the team, potentially setting them up for future successes with a powerful driver line-up. All eyes are now on Sainz’s decision as the 2025 season approaches.
Source: Planetf1
