Jacques Villeneuve highlights Carlos Sainz reaction after being dropped by Ferrari: “That makes a difference”. Jacques Villeneuve on Carlos Sainz and his F1 future.

More Than One Offer for Carlos Sainz
At the halfway point of the 2024 Formula 1 championship with the Hungarian Grand Prix, the future of Carlos Sainz in Formula 1 has not yet been defined by the current Ferrari driver. At present, the Spaniard is still evaluating the offers he has received from various teams in recent months, ever since the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s recruitment by Ferrari for the next championship: among these, Audi (currently Sauber) and Williams, with team principal James Vowles openly expressing his desire to bring #55 to Grove. More recently, the door to Alpine has also opened, without excluding the possibility of a move to Mercedes.

Decision in the Short Term
All options that the Spanish driver has been carefully considering for some time, but the latest advice for Carlos Sainz came from Jacques Villeneuve. The 1997 world champion, in an interview with OLBG, stated that the current Ferrari driver should not wait much longer before making a definitive decision: “He’s probably still hoping for Mercedes, thinking that Antonelli might not be good enough and that the seat could be available for a few years – explained the Canadian – but by playing the waiting game, you might find yourself the last one standing, and that’s not a good thing. When you get a good offer and delay, at some point you anger the others and they don’t want you anymore. You end up signing very late and make it clear to that team that it was only your third choice. That’s not the best thing to do either.” – the former Formula 1 champion pointed out.

Carlos Sainz’s Qualities
For Jacques Villeneuve, therefore, it is essential that Carlos Sainz doesn’t delay excessively before signing with a new team, but the former Williams driver has nonetheless praised the Spaniard for other characteristics: “He has a great work ethic and excellent adaptability – he said – he works well with engineers, his feedback is excellent and pays off. He has great value. He is fast and competitive and seems to react well under pressure.”

“When Ferrari dropped him, he didn’t react badly – he concluded – he responded calmly, and that makes a difference. Teams like that. He would be perfect for Williams, who need two such drivers. They are on the rise.”