Sergio Perez to Williams: Acting Team Principal if Simon Roberts refused to confirm George Russell will continue with them through the 2021 season.
With Racing Point/Aston Martin deciding to let go of Sergio Perez to bring in Sebastian Vettel, and Haas announcing Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will not continue beyond this season, apparently, due to financial constraints, the spotlight has turned to Williams, with new owners Dorilton Capital looking for drivers who can bring in investments/sponsorships as well.
Not in Portugal this weekend and was just listening to Sky’s coverage – the point of Russell being “one for the future” is no good to Williams though. They’re helping develop a driver for Mercedes to benefit from, not themselves… #F1 #PortugueseGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) October 23, 2020
With the importance of the 2022 regs and the reset in the competitive order that could offer, having the maximum possible resources next year is even more crucial. Do you take a final year of Russell’s deal, or Perez and more funds for a few years? #F1 #PortugueseGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) October 23, 2020
This has led to rumors that Williams could bring in Sergio Perez at the expense of George Williams. Perez has considerable sponsorship backing from Mexico, while Russell’s teammate Nicholas Latifi does so from Canada. But Russell sounded relaxed when asked about these rumors, on the sidelines of the Portuguese Grand Prix.
“I have a contract for next year. Nothing has changed whatsoever from my contractual perspective under the new ownership. I’ve not spoken to the new owners about it because from my side there are no concerns. They will all be here this weekend. I’m sure any air will be cleared but I am not concerned.”
Williams acting Team Principal refuses to reveal anything
Williams acting Team Principal Simon Roberts was asked the same question, specifically if Russell and Latifi will continue beyond 2020. Like a fine diplomatic, he refused to confirm, either way, adding fuel to fire that Perez could indeed replace Russell. In the world of F1, silence speaks more than a thousand words. And in this case, those words could lead to Russell leaving Williams at the end of the current season.
“There’s lots of speculation, there are lots of good drivers around that are now looking for seats. Dorilton bought the team and nothing changed, so we can’t say any more than that. There’s just so much speculation and rumour, it’s crazy. It’s silly season after all. We’re not saying any more than that.”
Read more: Who are Dorilton Capital, how much money did they fuel in to acquire Williams?
