Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Friday May 24, 2024 at 11:24 a.m.
Forced to give up his place to Lewis Hamilton next season at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Jr, already courted by Mercedes and Sauber-Audi, would now be close to Williams, according to information from Autosport.
The 2024 Formula 1 season will reach its third this Sunday with the Monaco Grand Prix, but we still do not know in which team Carlos Sainz Jr will race next season. The 29-year-old Spanish driver will not be extended at Ferrari because Lewis Hamilton will arrive, and he has not yet found a new team. In recent months, rumors have sent him to Mercedes, where he would replace the British world champion, to Sauber, which will become Audi (with which his father won the Dakar last January) in 2026, the year of the implementation of the new technical regulations in F1, or even at Red Bull if Sergio Perez loses his seat. But this Friday, the specialized site Autosport reports a rapprochement between Carlos Sainz Jr and Williams, the team currently penultimate in the standings with zero points on the clock. If Alexander Albon recently extended his contract for several seasons, Logan Sargeant will however reach the end of his contract in December and has not yet extended.
Sainz Jr: “Once I open my mind, everything will happen very quickly”
To attract Carlos Sainz Jr, the Williams team is trying to convince him that its engine manufacturer, Mercedes, is already geared towards the 2026 revolution and that current performance should therefore not be relied upon. “The 2025 car is in the tunnel, it’s as simple as that. And we are doing this to get ahead of the years 2026 and 2027. Throughout the process, my message will remain the same: it is not not that I am losing interest in these years (before 2026), but I want us to succeed in the future. To do this, I must make very strict decisions in order to transform the organization,” the boss explained last week. from the James Vowles stable. This could therefore involve the arrival of an experienced driver, present in F1 since 2015 and already on 21 podiums (three victories). During the media day on Thursday in Monaco, Carlos Sainz Jr was once again asked about his future, and confided that one should not necessarily listen to the rumors from the paddock. “Behind the scenes, I know more. There are rumors and everything else, but don’t worry, I won’t let anything leak out. I will put all options on the table and make the right decision. I can tell you that once I open my mind, everything will happen very quickly. It’s about putting together everything I need for my next contract.” Still a little patience…
