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- 🏎️ Sainz Ends Speculation with Move to Williams
🏎️ Sainz Ends Speculation with Move to Williams
Jordan Williams
July 30, 2024
In this week’s email:
Sainz Ends Speculation with Move to Williams đź‘€
Russell's Belgian GP Disqualification Hands Victory to Hamilton 🏎️
Ocon Moves to Haas in Multi-Year Deal ✍️
Alpine’s Principal Bruno Famin Steps Down ✌️
Verstappen Unfazed by Sim Racing Scrutiny 🕹️
Sainz Ends F1 Speculation with Move to Williams đź‘€
Carlos Sainz has confirmed he will join Williams for the 2025 Formula One season, ending months of speculation about his future. Announced shortly after the Belgian Grand Prix, Sainz’s decision comes after he lost his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton. Despite being a top free agent, neither Red Bull nor Mercedes showed serious interest, leaving Sainz to choose among Sauber (soon to be Audi), Alpine, and Williams.
His choice of Williams is a notable move as transitioning from Ferrari to Williams would have been unlikely in the past. However, Williams’ long-term vision under team principal James Vowles and the stability of the project appealed to Sainz. Williams has been expanding and restructuring under Vowles with plans to capitalize on the 2026 technical regulation changes.
Sainz will join Alex Albon at Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant. His multi-year contract will keep him at Williams through at least 2026. Sainz expressed enthusiasm about joining the historic team and is eager to help them return to the front of the grid. Despite recent shifts in the F1 landscape, including Alpine’s and Sauber’s changes, Sainz believes Williams is the right place to continue his career.
Russell's Belgian GP Disqualification Hands Victory to Hamilton 🏎️
George Russell was disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix due to his car being underweight. Which resulted in his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton being declared the winner.
The disqualification came after Russell's car was found to be 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) below the minimum weight limit of 798 kg. Mercedes acknowledged the error, with team principal Toto Wolff admitting it was a mistake and expressing frustration.
Wolff emphasized the need for the team to learn from this incident and apologized to Russell, who remains optimistic about future successes. Below are the results from the top-10 finishers from the race:
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
Fernando Alonso (Mercedes)
Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
Other things to note:
McLaren’s performance continues to close the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ standings. Piastri’s strong showing underscores McLaren’s impressive driver lineup and successful season.
Pérez’s drop in performance further hurt Red Bull’s position in the constructors' standings. McLaren narrowed the gap from 51 points to just 42.
Ricciardo has had improvement this season so far, including a points finish in Belgium after Russell’s disqualification. He has out-qualified Pérez in five of the last eight races.
Ocon Moves to Haas in Multi-Year Deal ✍️
Esteban Ocon will join Haas for the 2025 Formula One season after signing a multi-year deal. He will race alongside British rookie Oliver Bearman. Replacing Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.
Ocon is the first grand prix winner to join Haas and will reunite with Ayao Komatsu, Haas’s team principal. This move follows Ocon's decision to leave Alpine. Marking a fresh start for him amid a challenging final season with the team. His experience and race-winning pedigree are expected to be valuable for Haas as it continues to improve.
Alpine’s Principal Bruno Famin Steps Down ✌️
Bruno Famin, Alpine’s F1 team principal, will step down at the end of August to focus on broader motorsport activities. Including the planned end of Alpine's factory engine program by 2026.
Famin took over the role last year and will shift his attention to overseeing all of Alpine's motorsport endeavors. Including their Le Mans Hypercar and Dakar Rally projects.
Alpine is considering transitioning from manufacturing its own F1 engines to becoming a customer team,. Potentially purchasing engines from other manufacturers.
Famin’s departure reflects ongoing changes within Alpine’s senior leadership and its strategy to reallocate resources. A new team principal will be announced soon, with Oliver Oakes rumored to be a potential candidate.
Verstappen Unfazed by Sim Racing Scrutiny 🕹️
Max Verstappen has clarified that Red Bull has not banned him from sim racing during grand prix weekends. Despite staying up until 3 a.m. before the Hungarian Grand Prix to participate in a sim race, Verstappen insists that such late-night racing is not new to him and does not affect his performance. He argued that criticism over his sim racing activities is often a fallback when results do not go well, citing his win at Imola despite a similar late-night schedule.
Verstappen also addressed his radio messages during the Hungarian Grand Prix where he expressed frustration with the team's strategy. He defended his candid communication style and expressed that being critical is part of their successful approach. Verstappen's comments come amid increasing pressure from rivals like Lando Norris and McLaren, with Verstappen facing a grid penalty for the upcoming Spa Grand Prix.
Other things happening around F1 🛞