Rumors have already begun to surface about an exit clause in Carlos Sainz’s two-year contract with Williams, which starts from the 2025 season. This week, the speculation has intensified with insider reports from Peter Windsor pointing to a significant oversight in the potential wording of the Spanish driver’s contract.
The current rumors center around the supposed exit clause in his contract, reportedly allowing Sainz an out if a seat opens up at Red Bull or Mercedes in 2025. These rumors stem from uncertainties surrounding the career trajectories of Max Verstappen at Red Bull and potential moves at Mercedes.
F1 journalist and broadcaster Peter Windsor has pointed out what he perceives as a “big mistake” in the contract’s exclusion of Ferrari as a potential future option for Sainz. Windsor speculated on various scenarios, such as an early retirement for Lewis Hamilton, who is replacing Sainz next year, or unexpected shifts at Ferrari that could open up a seat for him to return. Windsor commented during an appearance on the Cameron F1 YouTube channel:
“Big mistake, if that’s the actual wording [of the clause], because why hasn’t he got Ferrari in there? Imagine if Lewis stops after one year for whatever reason and a Ferrari seat’s available.
“Imagine if Carlos Sainz has just re-signed for Williams because he’s just finished second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he loves the team, and then a week later there’s a seat at Ferrari available and Ferrari are on the phone saying: ‘Carlos, come back! We love you, come back!’
“What happens then? Why hasn’t he got Ferrari in there? Why is he only thinking Red Bull and Mercedes? Or is he so annoyed with Ferrari that he’d never want to drive for them instead?”
Windsor continued:
“You can’t assume anything. Charles Leclerc may not be there for the next two years – why would you assume that?
“There’s more chance at Ferrari, bearing in mind Lewis’s age and everything else, than there is at Mercedes where it looks like it’s going to be George and Antonelli.
“Those two are going to be in the car for the next five years. So no chance at Mercedes, you’d say.
“There’s more chance that he’s going to get an opportunity again at Ferrari, especially if he kept that door open with that contract and said: ‘I love you, guys. The minute you want me back, I’ll be with you.’
“Why wouldn’t he have done that? I find that very odd.”
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