P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The latest season of Drive to Survive reveals how Carlos Sainz failed to appear at a crucial meeting with Williams to sign his 2025 F1 contract.
It has come to light that Carlos Sainz initially missed signing his Williams F1 contract after a last-minute call from Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore. Sainz’s future post losing his Ferrari seat was a key topic during the summer of 2024, with Williams and Stake as his top choices, particularly due to Stake transforming into the Audi works team in 2026. At the Spanish Grand Prix, rumors swirled around Sainz announcing a 2025 deal following discussions with Williams’ James Vowles and manager Carlos Onoro. Interestingly, Williams board member James Matthews, whose sister-in-law is Catherine, Princess of Wales, was also present at the meeting. Season 7 of Drive to Survive on Netflix uncovered that a deal had been settled between Sainz and Williams to be signed during the Spanish GP weekend, but unexpected events caused a delay. Despite initial doubts, Sainz eventually signed with Williams, leading to an announcement post the Belgian GP in July, with Alpine signing Doohan to partner Gasly for 2025 after releasing Esteban Ocon.
