F1 Today | More Sainz rumours, Formula E ownership, and Le Mans update

Sainz 'rumoured' to have a Williams contract

The biggest question that needs answering before the 2025 season gets underway is this one: Where will Carlos Sainz be driving? The Ferrari driver will no longer be a part of the Italian team after the huge signing of Lewis Hamilton. There were rumours that Red Bull may be the destination for the Spaniard, who has proven his worth in F1. However, after Sergio Perez signed a two-year contract extension at the Austrian team, it shut the door on that idea.

No seat for Sainz in 2025 would be a huge omission from the grid in F1, and after talks with Mercedes did not progress at all, there were not many more options. However, it would seem that Williams and Sainz are communicating, and German source Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that the Spaniard and Williams are rumoured to have agreed on a four-year contract, with an option to leave after just two years after 2026. It may just be a rumour, but there are growing signs that Sainz may be driving for Williams next year.

Formula E ownership changes hands

When the news came in this afternoon that 'Liberty' would be buying 65% of a stake in Formula E, many were wondering what the next step would be for the electric class joining the same ownership group as F1.

However, it is not Liberty Media that has taken over the ownership of Formula E, but the company Liberty Global. The telecommunications company, who have shares in ITV, Virgin Media, and Vodafone, as well as TV and telephone companies in Europe too, have acquired 65% of shares formally owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, and now they are the majority owners of Formula E.

Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said he was pleased with the purchase of the FE: "We’re excited to take a controlling interest in Formula E, a business we first invested in nearly 10 years ago. Formula E has a massive potential for further growth while integrating the most advanced sustainability standards in sports."

Le Mans Hyperpole decided

The iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway on Saturday, one of the biggest spectacles in motor racing. The 'Hyperpole', the competition for who starts the race in pole position, was fought for today, and it was the #6 Porsche that set the fastest time in the session.

Before the hyperbole was even able to get underway, a huge crash in one of the support series races meant that major damage was done to the crash barrier, meaning the session was delayed by 35 minutes. However, it did not deter the Porsche. The team of Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor jumped ahead of the #3 Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon in the final few moments, giving the German team P1. Cadillac's other team, the #2 car, was able to spring up to take P2 for the 24-hour race, with the #3 car having to settle for P3.

There was no room for the Lamborghini Hypercar in the hyperpole session, with ex-F1 driver Daniil Kvyat a part of that three-man team. Be sure to read his exclusive interview with GPblog right here as he talks about life away from Formula 1.