David Croft ‘led to believe’ that Williams could ‘easily’ sign 10-win driver instead of Carlos Sainz

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Williams were poised to pull off perhaps the biggest coup of F1’s silly season by signing Carlos Sainz. But now it looks as if the Spaniard may be inclined to move elsewhere.

The F1 paddock was ‘certain’ that Williams were going to announce Sainz as one of their drivers for 2025 at his home race in Barcelona last month. But he hesitated late on.

James Vowles is looking for a partner for Alex Albon, with the struggling Logan Sargeant set to leave F1 and join IndyCar. Sainz is arguably the top free agent on the market right now after racking up three wins and 23 podiums during his time with Ferrari and McLaren.

Rival midfield team Alpine recently improved their offer for Sainz. He’s told them that he’s ready to join if they can strike a Mercedes engine deal.

Williams are already committed to using Mercedes power units until 2030. Sainz expects the German manufacturer to be the standout supplier for the 2026 regulation changes.

But even though Vowles can already offer Sainz what he’s demanding from Alpine, the 29-year-old has halted negotiations. With Alpine currently expected to be his ‘new home’, he’s having to explore alternatives.

Williams ready to sign Valtteri Bottas as Carlos Sainz plan-b

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft still believes that Williams are the ‘favoured’ option for Sainz. But the problem is that he’s still not ready to commit.

Vowles wants clarity on his driver line-up as the summer break approaches, and he knows he could ‘easily’ sign Valtteri Bottas. The Finn is out of contract at Sauber and buyers Audi have told him to look elsewhere.

Bottas started his F1 career at Williams in 2013, spending four seasons there before he joined Mercedes. While at Brackley, he worked closely with Vowles, who was the chief strategist.

The British team have also looked at Esteban Ocon, who’s leaving Alpine at the end of the season. But he could instead join Haas alongside Oliver Bearman.

“I’m led to believe there’s an outside chance – or a better than outside chance – of [him] heading back to Grove next season,” Croft said of Bottas. “Carlos Sainz still making his mind up and having a think about where he wants to go, and Williams look like the favoured location for him.

“But I’m led to believe whilst he continues to try and make up his mind, that’s not what Williams want. They’d like a decision now so they can plan for next year. If he can’t give them a decision, Valtteri Bottas is the man that they could easily turn to.”

What James Vowles has told Logan Sargeant about midseason driver change

While Bottas wouldn’t necessarily be as exciting an addition as Sainz, he’s actually been more successful in F1. During his time with Mercedes, he won 10 Grands Prix, and he also ranks 10th all-time for podiums with 67.

It’s worth noting that the driver landscape at Williams could shift significantly in the coming weeks. Vowles has told Sargeant that there are no guarantees about him seeing out the 2024 season.

If they find a new driver for the second half of the campaign, then logically he too would be a candidate for 2025. Bottas is committed to Sauber until December.

One potential option could be Sergio Perez. The Mexican has been given three races to save his Red Bull seat, and would likely be of interest to Williams if he lost it.