£547m F1 team told they can’t be angry about Carlos Sainz rejection because their car ‘sucks’

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Carlos Sainz is back in contention to join Mercedes. The prospect of an inadvertent driver ‘swap’ with Ferrari is still alive.

It emerged during the British Grand Prix weekend that Mercedes are once again giving serious consideration to signing Sainz. They have concerns over whether academy driver Kimi Antonelli is ready.

Toto Wolff says there are still things Antonelli ‘needs to learn’, though he did score his first F2 victory in the Silverstone Sprint Race. Mercedes have understandably given him time to prove himself as they decide whether to replace a seven-time world champion in Lewis Hamilton with a rookie.

Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle says the Mercedes landscape is shifting ‘day by day’ at the moment, but Sainz is prepared to hang around. He’s also held out hope of Red Bull ‘falling apart’ and Max Verstappen leaving, but that’s far less likely.

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher now thinks Sainz has a ‘great chance’ of partnering George Russell. Mercedes are becoming an increasingly attractive destination after back-to-back race wins.

Sainz will feel he’s shown his worthiness to remain at the front of the grid. He’s scored five podiums in 11 starts this season, including a win in Australia, and sits just four points behind teammate Charles Leclerc despite missing the Saudi Arabian GP through illness.

Christian Danner tells Williams that Carlos Sainz rejection is understandable

As recently as last month, Williams looked poised to win the race. The F1 paddock was ‘certain’ that James Vowles would unveil Sainz at his home race in Barcelona.

But instead, he hesitated. This came amid an improved offer from Alpine, who told Sainz they may be using Mercedes engines in 2026 depending on the outcome of talks.

Now the 29-year-old could reject both those teams if a Mercedes opportunity presents itself. Williams are ‘running out of patience’ with Sainz but ex-F1 driver Christian Danner, speaking on the Motorsport Magazin YouTube channel, says they have no cause for anger.

After all, they’re second from bottom in the constructors’ championship, having scored just four points so far. They bagged 28 last year but have dropped back in terms of performance.

“Can Williams get so angry?” Danner said. “He didn’t say yes. Of course he didn’t say yes because your car sucks! As long as he has other options he has to keep them open.”

David Croft ‘led to believe’ that Williams can ‘easily’ sign Sainz plan-b

Alpine could now find themselves in the same boat as Williams. Enstone looked like the ‘new home’ for Sainz last week, with Pierre Gasly naming him as his desired teammate.

Sainz has also ‘cancelled talks’ with Sauber over a 2025 seat. Audi may be taking over in 2026, but it’s clear that he only wants to join a midfield team as a last resort.

Much as Vowles is a hugely ambitious team principal set on re-establishing Williams as a force in F1, they can’t compete with Mercedes at this stage. Indeed, Forbes value them at just £547m, compared to £2.9bn for the Silver Arrows.

The good news is that there are still strong options on the market. David Croft says Williams could ‘easily’ sign Valtteri Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner.