Sainz denies Williams deal now set in stone

Carlos Sainz has denied reports that he has now signed with Williams for 2025 - although the Oxfordshire-based team’s boss sounds very confident.

The Ferrari refugee has been the centrepiece of the F1 driver ’silly season’ this season, as he weighs up offers from Williams, Sauber-Audi and Alpine - whilst hoping for a top team opportunity at Mercedes or Red Bull.

The latter outcome now seems ruled out, while Alpine is in tatters and even self-scrapping its works Formula 1 program. "There are too many problems," lamented the continuing Alpine driver Pierre Gasly on Sunday.

"The steering wheel wasn’t even straight on the car. We lost 7 tenths every lap with engine temperature problems and there were too many mistakes over the last three weekends.

"It’s going to be very important to pull ourselves together during this summer break," Gasly told Canal Plus. "We’re going to have to talk together and resolve these problems very quickly."

Sainz is also believed to be turned off by the management turmoil at Audi, with the German marque’s team Sauber still yet to score a single point in 2024.

Williams, however, is only 4 points ahead of Sauber. "We haven’t had anything new all year," said the team’s continuing driver Alex Albon. "We’re so far behind the pack.

"Hopefully we’ll be more competitive after the break."

Nonetheless, Williams boss James Vowles’ vision for the future - and willingness to give Sainz the top-team exit clauses he desires - seem to have won the 29-year-old over.

His father Carlos Sainz snr and cousin Carlos Onoro Sainz - Sainz’s management team - were spotted leaving a meeting with Vowles at Spa last Friday.

But is it a done deal for 2025?: "No, I’m not with any team yet and I haven’t announced anything," Sainz told Sky Deutschland after the Belgian GP.

"I’m looking forward to the summer break, having some time for myself and hearing this question again - like every weekend for the last six months," the Ferrari driver smiled.

Vowles, however, is very confident. "More than 50 percent," the Williams boss told reporters on Sunday when asked about the likelihood of securing Sainz’s signature.

"I would say the odds are on our side, but I’ve said that once this year, so we’ll see."

Vowles confirmed that Williams’ major competitor to securing Sainz is Renault-owned Alpine. "Carlos has one of the biggest brands in the world wanting him and that’s hard to turn down, especially as - let’s be honest - they’ve beaten us recently.

"It’s a tough thing to turn down. They won a race not too long ago and I can see the perspective," he added. "He said to me that when he commits, he has to do it with all his heart and soul, and cannot have any doubts.

"That’s why he’s taking his time and that resonated a lot with me," said Vowles.

When asked if it’s possible a deal could be announced with a week, he concluded: "In principle, yes."

But when asked the same question late on Sunday, Sainz answered: "I don’t know, I can’t say.

"It’s time to rest during these holidays - that’s what matters," he told DAZN.