Mercedes and Red Bull snubbed Sainz, now has back against the wall at Williams
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A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Carlos Sainz's exit from Ferrari was announced before the 2024 F1 season started, and despite Mercedes and Red Bull looking like logical choices for the Spaniard, he was discarded, forcing him to look elsewhere for a seat, which he later found at Williams. But now, the 4-time Grand Prix winner is in a very uncomfortable position in his new team due to Alexander Albon's performances, according to Nico Rosberg.
With Lewis Hamilton being his replacement at Ferrari, Mercedes could have gone for the switcharoo between the two. However the German squad chose Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the Spaniard.
At Red Bull Racing the situation was somewhat complicated, since the Austrian squad decided to renew Perez early despite his underwhelming performances and Sainz openly looking for a drive, which has led team principal Christian Horner to be sidelined from the responsibilities of signing drivers' contracts, GPblog understands.
Sainz told Motorsport.com regarding the tough situation he was in: “I took my time until the summer to check if there was an opportunity with a top team and to assess what the best alternative would be."
When it became clear neither top team wanted him, he cryptically said of the reasons behind the lack of interest: "I’ve come to my own conclusions. But I’ll keep them to myself. I believe the people in F1 know perfectly well why certain choices are made – I don’t need to explain it in front of a microphone."
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After careful evaluation, the choice was clear: “So I told myself: if I can’t join a top team, I’ll help build one." Thus Sainz landed at Williams.
Carlos Sainz during free practice in Miami
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Rosberg highlights worrying statistic for Sainz
Following the Spanish Grand Prix, for which Sainz fell out in Q1 before finishing P14 on Sunday, Nico Rosberg to Sky Sports stated that the Spaniard was now in a very uncomfortable situation at the Grove-based team.
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“It’s not been the easiest of starts to the season (for Sainz, ed). Alex has done a fantastic job. We’ve seen the flashes of brilliance from Carlos, but it’s been a bit up and down."
“And also, especially if you look at the points now, he is very, very far behind Alex on the points. That’s very, very uncomfortable for him to be in that kind of situation."
Sainz now trails Albon by no less than 30 points in the standings. Yet the former F1 champion believes the Spaniard can turn things around.
“But we know he’s a great driver so I’m sure he’ll find his feet there within the team and get going. I think the rest of the season should be a good one, but Alex Albon has been impressive.”
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