Williams Racing are quite far down the pecking order on the grid right now, making their search for a second driver for next season rather tricky.
They’re fortunate to already have Alex Albon tied down to a contract that includes an option to extend his deal until the end of 2025.
However, he needs a teammate and speaking on The Race’s YouTube channel, journalist Edd Straw has been talking about their options.
It’s safe to say at this stage that it’s very unlikely Logan Sargeant will be on the grid for a third season next year.
He appears to be the closest current driver to dropping out of the sport entirely and there are already suggestions he may be moved on before the campaign comes to an end.
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Williams have aspirations of racing further up the grid than they currently are and to do so need a stronger driver partnership.
It, therefore, makes sense that Williams’s top choice to join Albon in the team next year is Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.
The 29-year-old is on fire this season having already ended Max Verstappen’s chances of winning every race this year.
However, he’s on the lookout for a new team after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025.
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Williams make Carlos Sainz their ‘top choice’ for 2025 race seat
Carlos Sainz is in a unique position on the Formula 1 grid right now.
Even after Nico Hulkenberg’s move to Sauber was confirmed last week, the Spaniard is still the only driver who knows for certain he’s losing his current race seat.
He’s also being left in limbo by several teams on the grid who haven’t made their mind up yet about their preferred driver line-up.
In a perfect world for Sainz, he would take over Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull when his contract expires at the end of the year.
Then there’s Lewis Hamilton’s vacant seat, but it doesn’t appear as though Sainz is on their list of potential replacements.
Audi have reportedly offered Sainz a contract that even Red Bull can’t match as they look to build the strongest team possible before their entry into Formula 1.
All of these options mean that although Sainz is the top choice for Williams for 2025, it looks very unlikely that he’ll choose to join James Vowles’s outfit next year.
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Williams need to find perfect Logan Sargeant replacement
Speaking about Sainz’s future, Straw said: “While Audi is the obvious choice of the back cars on the grid, there are other possibilities.
“Williams is one and there have been talks with the [Carlos] Sainz camp.
“Williams is understood to see the Spaniard as the top choice, albeit a longshot. Williams is in talks with many drivers as it chases a replacement for the underperforming Logan Sargeant.
“But, it’s difficult to see Sainz seeing this as the best option, despite the team making a good case to his management in terms of the long-term vision for the team.”
Williams have previously spoken to Sainz’s management about a move to the team and it makes sense why he’s their top choice for Sargeant’s seat.
However, if Sainz is going to choose a team not currently fighting for regular points, then Audi makes the most sense given the potential the team has.
Williams are looking at other options although Zhou Guanyu doesn’t appear to be one of them.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli could come in on loan from Mercedes in a similar manner to George Russell.
They also like Alpine driver Pierre Gasly who might be looking for a way out of the French team after two seasons.
The post ‘Williams is in talks’: James Vowles’s ‘top choice’ to replace Sargeant for 2025 is a ‘longshot’ – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
