Martin Brundle raises fresh suspicion over exit clause in Carlos Sainz’s new Williams deal

Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle is convinced that Carlos Sainz does have an exit clause in his Williams contract allowing him to leave if a Red Bull or Mercedes seat becomes available in the future.

Sainz announced last month that he will join Williams on a two-year contract “with options to extend” for F1 2025, having been replaced at Ferrari by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Martin Brundle convinced Carlos Sainz Williams exit clause exists

Additional reporting by Henry Valantine

Having attracted interest from the likes of Audi and Alpine, Sainz revealed last week that he decided to join Williams in the days leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix, the race where his father Carlos Sainz Sr and manager Carlos Onoro were spotted leaving the team’s hospitality unit by PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher.

Later that weekend, rumours emerged from Germany that Sainz had signed a contract to join Williams, with the original report claiming the deal contains a special clause allowing him to back out of the deal if a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes becomes available.

If true, it could create the extraordinary scenario whereby Sainz never actually drives for Williams despite agreeing to join the team.

The notion of Sainz landing a front-running drive for F1 2025 appears highly unlikely at this stage, with Max Verstappen poised to remain at Red Bull and Mercedes set to confirm teenage sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton’s successor ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

However, James Vowles, the Williams team principal, did not deny that the clause exists in Sainz’s deal when asked by media including PlanetF1.com days after the announcement.

Vowles said: “There are precisely 10 people in the world that know what the interior of the contract holds. The Carlos camp know and I know what’s inside.

“So anything you have read on the internet is speculation and that’s it.

“The message [in Williams’ official statement] – that ’25, ’26 and beyond’ reference –  did not come from myself, that came from Carlos.

“He wanted it to be abundantly clear to all of you, to the world, that he is committed and this is where he wants to be.”

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Brundle feels Sainz was left in an unfortunate position by Ferrari’s signing of Hamilton, leaving him to pick Williams – who have scored just four points in F1 2024 and currently sit ninth in the Constructors’ Championship – as his “least-worst option” for F1 2025.

And with the Madrid-born star set to turn 30 this week, he is confident that Sainz will have a clause that will allow him to return to a leading F1 seat at the earliest convenience.

Appearing on Sky F1 , Brundle said: “It was a tough call for Team Sainz, really. He’s [already] got his dream drive, he’s a works Ferrari driver.

“The other three options he had really were Sauber/Audi, Alpine and Williams. They’re all three-to-five-year projects in reality if they’re going to get regular podiums.

“It sounds awful, but it was his least-worst choice to an extent from where he’s coming from.

“But I can see why he’s excited about what Williams can do for him in the future.

“It’s the fifth team he’s driven for on the grid. He’s driven for half the grid, basically.

“He’s just turning 30 so if Carlos wants another shot at a front-running, championship-potential race-winning car, it’s going to be quite tough from there actually.

“So maybe he’ll set his stall out at Williams, but I can’t believe he won’t have done a deal where he’s got an exit route should a Red Bull or a Mercedes seat become available.”

Brundle’s comments come after Sainz admitted he was wrong-footed by Ferrari’s signing of Hamilton last winter, having expected to secure a contract extension with the Scuderia.

He also told Sky F1 : “It was not nice how I found out and how I went through that process, because it was completely unexpected to me, as it was probably also probably unexpected for many people.

“I was in the middle of negotiations with Ferrari, everything seemed to be going in the right direction and suddenly this news arrived to me.

“It was completely unexpected and a huge turnaround in the way that suddenly my career was going to plan out.

“And having to deal with the decision, with negotiating, with talking to all these teams that I could potentially go for, evaluating what’s the best for my future, so much stuff going on that it for sure took energy out of my head. It was difficult to focus at times.”

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