Craig Slater Claims Mercedes Never Proposed a “Concrete Offer” to Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz revealed that he will be driving for Williams in 2025, but there were multiple teams reportedly interested in signing him. Mercedes, who was on the lookout for a driver, was linked heavily with him too, but that move never materialized. According to journalist Craig Slater, it was because Mercedes never came in strong.

In the Sky Sports podcast, Slater stated that Sainz made the correct call by choosing Williams. Mercedes did contact him, but they made it clear that he wasn’t a priority. Then, Slater added,

“I don’t believe any kind of concrete offer was ever made to Carlos Sainz by Mercedes or even the door open for a season there potentially. So I think it’s always been a long shot. But ultimately, he’s gone for Williams.”

Mercedes reportedly wanted Sainz to fill in the Mercedes seat until 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli got ready for F1. That is not the career Sainz wanted, which is why he too, quickly passed on the opportunity.

Sainz wanted to be with a team where he would be treated with importance. Williams, with its ambitious project, seemed like the perfect fit.

What can Sainz expect at Williams?

Sainz put a lot of faith in Williams and decided to join them on a multi-year contract. He made this decision after months of contemplating and insisted that he believed in James Vowles and his team to return to the front of the grid in the coming years.

Currently, the team is not competitive enough to fight for points regularly. So, upon joining, Sainz has to be patient, at least for the 2025 season.

Sainz’s future teammate Alex Albon too, believes in the project and extended his contract beyond 2025. If Williams can pull off another coup with Adrian Newey, chances of the Grove-based team returning to the top will increase tenfold.