What James Vowles said about Mercedes clause in Carlos Sainz contract before Williams announcement

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Carlos Sainz has confirmed that he’ll race for Williams next season, ending the long-running saga around his future. The future of Sainz has been one of the biggest stories in the F1 driver market since Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton in February.

The Spaniard would initially have hoped to join either Red Bull or Mercedes. But the world champions, who have just reaffirmed their faith in Sergio Perez, had little interest in reuniting Sainz with Max Verstappen after a tense rookie partnership at Toro Rosso in 2015.

Mercedes, meanwhile, have always seemed to favour academy talent Kimi Antonelli. Former team McLaren have already tied both drivers down to long-term deals, while Aston Martin, RB and Haas never really looked like firm options.

That left Sainz choosing between the bottom three teams in the constructors’ championships. Audi, who will take over Sauber in 2026, had a longstanding offer on the table but were unable to earn the faith of the 29-year-old.

The battle between Williams and Alpine ebbed and flowed. The former looked set to win the race at the Spanish GP, but Sainz hesitated just before their planned announcement.

Amid talk of a switch to Mercedes power, Alpine appeared the new favourites at that point. However, the ongoing instability at the team, who have now redeployed team principal Bruno Famin, may have put Sainz off.

James Vowles denies existence of Carlos Sainz exit clause

Speaking to outlets including nl.motorsport during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, James Vowles addressed ‘rumours’ of a key exit clause in Sainz’s proposed contract. Some suspected that he could leave if Red Bull or Mercedes came knocking in future.

But Vowles has strongly denied that this is the case. He pointed out that most people within the team don’t know the specific details, let alone journalists outside it.

Williams announced the arrival of Sainz on Monday afternoon, confirming he’d signed a multi-year deal. That suggests he’ll still be racing for the Grove outfit in 2026.

“There are only a handful of people in the world who know what we are talking about,” Vowles said. “It’s not even inside the team. And it’s certainly not journalists outside our motorhome.”

James Vowles drops hint on Logan Sargeant’s immediate future

Sainz will race alongside Alex Albon for the next couple of years after the Thai driver signed a contract extension earlier in the year. Williams now boast one of the most formidable midfield line-ups in recent memory.

The victim of the move is Logan Sargeant, whose F1 career could come to an end after just two seasons. There has even been talk that the team could axe the American before the end of the year.

However, Vowles seemingly hinted that Sargeant would see out the campaign. He expressed his confidence that the 23-year-old would ‘continue to fight for us in the races ahead’.

Williams entered the summer break with just five points on the board, leaving them seven adrift of Alpine. They will see Sainz as a game-changer as they look to ascend the grid.