Williams tipped to land ‘major coup’ as Carlos Sainz camp information comes to light
Williams are one of the teams linked with Carlos Sainz for the F1 2025 season.
Sky Sports commentator David Croft has said that, after conversations with Carlos Sainz’s representatives, his F1 2025 choices are now between Williams and Audi.
Should Williams secure his services from next season, Croft believes it would be a “major coup” for the Grove-based team, with a partnership with Alex Albon testament to the acumen of team principal James Vowles.
‘Can Williams get Carlos Sainz? The answer to that is yes’
Sainz will be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season to vacate his current cockpit for Lewis Hamilton, and his name has been linked with multiple teams as he continues to perform well, having won the Australian Grand Prix earlier this season.
And with Sergio Perez having now signed for Red Bull for two more years, that is one potential option having closed off to Sainz in his quest for the most competitive seat possible, with PlanetF1.com understanding he is not currently in contention for Hamilton’s vacant seat at Mercedes as it stands, for the time being.
But if Sainz was to join Albon at Williams from next year, Croft had high praise for the quality of the pairing that would produce – as well as explaining the current situation in which the 29-year-old finds himself.
“Arguably the strongest driver line-up that Williams have had in my time commentating on Formula 1, quite frankly,” Croft told the Sky Sports F1 podcast when the possibility of a Sainz-Albon duo at Williams was put to him next season, should it come to pass.
“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.
“And can he get Carlos Sainz? Well, the answer to that is yes, he can. It’s not about money, I spoke to the Sainz camp on this one, and he’s got a decision: Audi or Williams.
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“There’s no deadline from Audi. That has been reported, but it’s not true. He didn’t have to make his mind up by the end of May.
“It’s not about money, it’s about where Carlos sees the vision for the future. So do you put your faith in a brand new project, that you know is an entity that has been successful in world motorsport on many occasions in the past, but not in Formula 1? Or do you put your faith in a rather more known entity that has been successful in F1, but has been in very much lean times over the last few years?
“Personally, hand on heart, I think he’ll go to Williams. I think that is where Carlos Sainz is heading because he can see what’s in front of him with Williams.
“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 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.”
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