It’s not every day the ninth-placed team in the constructors championship manages to snare a multiple race winner in their prime, but Williams has achieved just that with its capture of Carlos Sainz for 2025.
Red Bull Racing never appeared to seriously consider him as a Sergio Pérez replacement, in part thanks to Carlos Sainz Senior and Jos Verstappen having explosively butt heads during their sons’ days as teammates at Toro Rosso. It’s a decision that speaks volumes not just about Williams’s trajectory but about the standing of Alpine and the future Audi project in Formula 1.
It triggered Audi to bring forward its total buyout to this year, but the damage was done. Two years had been wasted. Time is something Sainz doesn’t have — not time to think about a contract nor time to wait in his career.Audi’s lack of appeal put Williams in the box seat, but Alpine emerged as a late contender in the last two months.
His is the latest in a long line of sackings and resignations that have chronically destabilised the team and led to months of staff shedding.Every F1 team covets works status. An in-house power unit designed in tandem with the chassis imbues unquantifiable benefits accepted as required to win a championship.
With so much uncertainty, Alpine could never have been a suitable destination for safety-seeking Sainz.Audi was offering theoretically great long-term potential but from a significantly lower base, making even medium-term success unlikely. “I want to thank James Vowles and the entire board of Williams for their trust and determination. Their solid leadership and convictions have played an important role in my decision-making.Vowles said Sainz’s signing puts his team on track to return to the front of Formula 1.
Sainz’s Alpine refusal is potentially terrific news for Australia, with Jack Doohan in line to get the nod to replace Esteban Ocon. He’s the logical successor to Ocon not just because he’s done the hard yards but because Alpine will surely want to see some return on its investment into young drivers, having seen previous juniors Piastri and Zhou Guanyu take their talents to rival teams.
He’s been doing an understated but excellent job in the worst car on the grid. He has an easy handle on teammate Zhou Guanyu, whose spirit seems broken by his circumstances, and can extract big performances when the car is having a good day.
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