As one of only three drivers to have won in Formula 1 this year, it seems almost untenable to think that Carlos Sainz could be tempted to join a team, Williams, that has yet to score points. But while in paddock It was rumored in Monaco that the Spaniard was in talks with the team Grovea deeper analysis of what the historic team can offer shows that it might not be such a crazy option for him.
Of course, as a driver who is in his prime and who has shown that he can fight on equal terms with the best, Sainz’s first goal is obviously to find a winning seat for 2025.
However, Red Bull and Mercedes seem to be leaning more towards other options, so Sainz’s chances are quickly diminishing.
The easiest option for him would be to accept the money and security of an official long-term contract with Audi.
It would guarantee him several years in Formula 1, the full support of a manufacturing team and the possibility of being part of a new and exciting project.
But this move is not without risks and disadvantages, and the biggest one is that it could mean a step back in competitive terms for quite some time.
While Audi is investing a huge amount of money in its entry into F1 and the creation of its new power unit for 2026, the Sauber F1 Team it bought comes from quite a while back.
After some underinvestment in recent years, Sauber needs to embark on a recruitment drive to catch up with other teams, and also needs to improve its factory infrastructure. Hinwil.
These are things that take time to have an impact and, with his current car failing to offer the consistency needed to challenge for points at the moment, the reality is that there is unlikely to be a major change next year.
That could mean that Sainz, if he accepts Audi’s offer, would go from a Ferrari team that fights for victories every weekend, to a Sauber team that could well be fighting to get out of Q1. Not a very exciting prospect.
Williams doesn’t appear to be much better than Sauber in terms of pace right now, but the team has been clear about the potential it sees to improve quickly.
That could be the reason why the team leader, James Vowlespublicly revealed last weekend in Imola that the team’s FW46 is considerably overweight and that this condemns them to losing a lot of lap time that is easily recoverable.
“This year’s car is about four and a half tenths a lap slower, every lap, due to the fact that it’s still overweight,” said Vowles, who believes he can get rid of most of that excess in the next few races. .
If we discount the 0.45 seconds that, according to Vowles, is being left on the table just because of the weight, Williams’ competitive situation changes.
Beyond the weight factor, Vowles is also making use of the team owner’s investment, Dorilton Capitalto improve the infrastructure of Grove and put it on equal terms with the teams with which it has to fight.
And perhaps there is no better proof of the conviction about the future of the team than the fact that Alex Albon, who could be a candidate for Red Bull for 2026 if there was a free seat then, chose to renew for several years.
Perhaps Williams’ move to secure Albon was also to show other drivers the promise for the future.
In the long term too, especially as F1 heads into the new 2026 regulations era, the fact that Williams already has a deal with Mercedes for the customer engine is a plus, as there are rumors that bench testing of power from the German manufacturer are showing impressive results.
But perhaps the biggest attraction that Williams could offer Sainz over Audi is flexibility.
Audi’s offer would bind him long-term, meaning he would be tied to what the German manufacturer does at that time, which could be a big bet.
That could be great positive news if Audi gets its act together, but if things take a while to catch up – and let’s not forget how Sling suffered with his first turbo hybrid engines – then Sainz could lose the best years of his career.
As he said in Monaco this Thursday: “I can only say that with such an important decision at this stage of my career, I want to have all the cards on the table to make the right one – and think about it carefully.”
“I’m about to turn 30 and the next project is a project that I really want to make work and see how it goes.”
Williams would welcome Sainz with open arms and that would probably make them agree to even offer him a deal that could let him free by 2026.
That would mean that if next year he can show he is going in the right direction, and the reality of Mercedes’ draft for the new rules becomes clearer, then I would have a chance of convincing him to stay.
But equally, that flexibility would allow Sainz to have the possibility of becoming a free agent for the 2026 market and, in theory, one of the big names aspiring to possible seats available at the top of the grid.
By 2026, Max Verstappen could change scene if the Red Bull engine project It does not seem that he is going to give everything that is expected, while the presence of Sergio Pérez is by no means guaranteed.
George Russell will also end his contract at Mercedes that year, while the fate of his second seat at the Mercedes-based team Brackley it is still not clear.
There are some tempting options that could open up that have not occurred on this occasion.
For now, nothing has been decided, and in fact Williams is also in talks with Valtteri Bottas as he weighs up who is best to fit in alongside Albon.
But once the Monaco GP passes this weekend, Sainz will have to sit down and decide what is best for his short and long-term future, and it is a decision that could well define his F1 career.
