Guenther Steiner says ‘something bad’ must happen for £6m-a-year F1 driver to win a race in 2025

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The 2024 Formula 1 season hasn’t even reached its thrilling conclusion yet but already attention is being turned to next year.

In 2025, only three teams have confirmed that they will be sticking with their current driver line-ups, meaning there are plenty of exciting changes on the horizon.

Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton is the headline signing, but the paddock will look very different up and down the grid.

Guenther Steiner was speaking on The Fast and The Curious Podcast about the upcoming campaign.

Several predictions were put to him and one included Spanish driver Carlos Sainz.

Sainz is the man making way for Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025 and after months of deliberation, decided to join Williams.

Williams currently sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship and haven’t scored a podium since George Russell’s bizarre second-place finish at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix when the race was cancelled after one lap.

Steiner has admitted he can’t see the £6m-a-year driver standing on the top step of the podium next year unless there’s a very strange set of circumstances.

Guenther Steiner can’t see Carlos Sainz winning a race at Williams next season

Steiner was presented with some predictions suggested by AI, including one that said that Oliver Bearman could be in contention to win the championship.

That would be a shock during his debut season with Haas but also shows how inaccurate the predictions can be.

Another proposal was that Sainz would return to his Grand Prix in Spain in 2025 and win the race with his new team.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Reacting to that suggestion, Steiner said: “Carlos winning for Williams in Spain? Something bad must happen, man. Or it rained or something like that.”

They then compared the scenario to Kevin Magnussen’s pole position in Brazil and Steiner continued: “Yeah, exactly. You know, it could happen. That one could happen.

“The chances are low, but they’re there, you know?”

Carlos Sainz ‘already talking’ to Alex Albon ahead of Williams arrival

Before the start of the season, more than half of the grid knew they were out of contract going into 2025.

However, it was understood that Hamilton would race for Mercedes for one more year before moving on and Sainz was the unfortunate driver left in the lurch when Ferrari secured his services.

Williams fought hard to beat their rivals to signing Sainz with team principal James Vowles first talking to the 30-year-old after the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi in 2023.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Vowles has already admitted that 2025 may be sacrificed to concentrate on the next set of regulations being introduced the following year.

That would make Sainz winning his home race next year particularly unlikely when the teams around Williams could take a further step forward.

Sainz and new teammate Alex Albon are already talking to each other ahead of teaming up for the Grove-based team.

The 30-year-old will be Albon’s toughest opponent since leaving Red Bull and if a top team is looking for a driver for 2026, then they could do a lot worse than to try and hire the best-performing Williams racer next year.