Helmut Marko fuels rumors about exit clause in Carlos Sainz’s next F1 contract. Helmut Marko commented on Carlos Sainz's move to Williams.

Helmut Marko commented on Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams and the alleged exit clause that would allow the Spaniard to leave in case of offers from a top team.

From one saga to another
After one of the longest market sagas in recent years, a few days ago Carlos Sainz finally revealed his future, accepting the persistent courting of James Vowles, who had been pursuing the Spaniard for months with relentless pressure, despite the current Ferrari driver receiving and evaluating several proposals from other teams, including Mercedes.

However, despite signing the contract that will bind the Spanish driver to the English team for 2025 and 2026 (and ‘beyond’), the saga is far from over. In recent days, much has been said about the alleged exit clause that would allow Carlos Sainz to leave if he received an offer from a top team even before the start of the next championship.

James Vowles immediately denied this, emphasizing that “only ten people in the world know what the contract contains. Carlos’s entourage knows and I know what’s inside.”

“The 2025, 2026 and beyond message did not come from me. It came from Carlos. He wanted it to be very clear to all of you – to the world – that he is committed and that this is where he wants to be.” – he pointed out.

Unlike the team principal, Helmut Marko, commenting on his former driver’s move to Williams, fueled the rumors about the clause: “It is understandable that Carlos decided to go to Williams. What would the alternatives have been? Audi will certainly not be one of them next year, if you look at their results. At Alpine, we don’t know if they will get the Mercedes engine in 2025 or only in 2026. I would say it was the best solution for him in his situation. It is obviously tragic that he is having his best season at Ferrari and cannot get a seat in a top team. But things should progress at Williams, even there he has a strong engine. Apparently there is a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if an offer came from a much more reputable team.” – the Austrian former professional racing driver and current director of the Red Bull Formula One team concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale