Jul.31 (GMM) James Vowles will not be confirming ideas that Carlos Sainz’s newly-signed contract with Williams incorporates a collection of distinctive exit clauses.
With Ferrari changing him subsequent yr with Lewis Hamilton, and Pink Bull and Mercedes not discovering a spot for the 29-year-old Spaniard, Sainz has picked Williams as your best option out of the remaining System 1 groups for 2025 “and past”.
Nonetheless, rampant hypothesis means that whereas the deal would possibly run for 2, three or much more seasons beginning subsequent yr, Sainz’s administration crew has engineered simple methods for the 3-time race winner to flee the contract if a prime crew got here knocking.
“I’m shocked Mercedes and Pink Bull didn’t signal Carlos,” Williams crew boss Vowles advised Marca sports activities newspaper this week.
“The competitors is getting nearer and nearer, so the motive force actually could make a distinction. And I’m not simply speaking about efficiency, however I’ve observed Carlos has considerably improved the entire groups he’s been in.
“So it’s nice information for us,” Vowles added. “I see him because the second greatest driver on the grid at occasions and definitely within the prime 4.”
Vowles says he has been trustworthy with Sainz all through, making it clear that whereas Williams would possibly wrestle to be on the entrance within the “quick time period”, he has formidable objectives for the longer term.
However will Sainz really make it into the longer-term future with Williams?
Spanish F1 commentator Antonio Lobato advised DAZN this week that he has heard there are “attention-grabbing exit clauses” within the contract “in case a seat at one of many huge groups turns into free”.
Vowles wouldn’t verify that.
“There are precisely ten folks on the earth who know what’s inside that contract,” he insisted.
Nonetheless, he freely admits that the negotiation course of, involving potential leaks to the media, has been “a bit extra public than I’d usually like”.
As for the wording of the announcement, with Sainz committing for 2025, 2026 “and past”, Vowles concluded: “That was Carlos’ request.”
