Villeneuve thinks Sainz is still waiting for this top team in F1
F1 News
- Corwin Kunst
Carlos Sainz still does not know where he will drive next year. The Spaniard has reportedly already received offers from teams, but the Ferrari driver is carefully weighing up his options. However, Jacques Villeneuve warns Sainz that he should not wait too long to decide.
"He is still probably hoping for Mercedes, that Antonelli is not good enough so the seta is available for a few years," said the one-time world champion in an interview with OLBG. Incidentally, 17-year-old Antonelli is not the only candidate for a seat with the German team. Indeed, Max Verstappen is still at the top of team boss Toto Wolff's list. Sainz himself would be keen on a move to Mercedes, but he would want to sign a multi-year contract.
So Sainz is waiting for now. "But playing the waiting game you could find out you are the last one standing and the last one standing is not a positive here. When you get a good offer and delay and delay at some point you will p*ss people off and they won’t want him," Villeneuve said. "You end up signing very late and you make it obvious to that team that they were only your third choice. That is not the best thing to do either."
Sainz an asset
At the same time, however, the Canadian believes the 29-year-old driver can make any team in Formula 1 stronger. "He has a great work ethic and the way he works with engineers, his feedback is great and it pays off. It has a lot of value. He is quick and competitive and he seems to react well under pressure."
"When he was dropped by Ferrari he did not react badly. He reacted like a cool cat. That makes a lot of difference. Teams like that. He would be great for Williams who need two drivers like that. They are on their way up," Villeneuve concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.