Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko admitted to being disappointed that Carlos Sainz was unable to secure a drive with a top F1 team for 2025, despite the Ferrari charger enjoying one of his strongest seasons in the sport.
Williams recently confirmed that Sainz had signed a multi-year deal with the British outfit that will see him race next season alongside Alex Albon.
While the move is a major coup for Williams team boss James Vowles, it’s inevitably a step back in terms of status for Sainz whose contract with Ferrari was not renewed due to the Scuderia securing the services of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton who will partner Charles Leclerc at the Italian outfit from 2025.
While Sainz had initially hoped for a seat with a leading team, his options dwindled as Red Bull ruled out a return, and Mercedes is expected to promote 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“It is of course tragic that he is having his best season at Ferrari and is not getting a seat in a top team,” Marko wrote in his regular column for Speedweek.
“But things should be moving forward at Williams, he has a strong engine there too.”
Sainz settled on Williams after turning down offers from Alpine and Audi-Sauber. Marko reckons the three-time Grand Prix winner made the right decision in choosing the Grove squad, given his limited options.
“It is understandable that Sainz decided to go to Williams, because what would the alternatives be?” commented the Austrian.
“Audi will certainly not be one of them next year, if you look at their successes.
“And at Alpine, we don’t know whether they will get the Mercedes engine in 2025 or not until 2026. I would say that [Williams] was the best solution for him in his situation.”
Intriguingly, Marko has suggested that Sainz's contract with Williams might contain an escape clause that would allow him to leave for a top team should the opportunity arise.
However, Williams team principal James Vowles has dismissed these claims as speculation, insisting that Sainz is fully committed to the team.
“There are precisely 10 people in the world that know what the interior in the contract holds,” Vowles told the media, quoted by RacingNews365.
“The Carlos camp knows, and I know what’s inside it. Anything you have read on the internet is speculation and that is it.”
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