Carlos Sainz's Williams Move Likened To Lewis Hamilton's 2013 Switch To Mercedes

Saajan Jogia | Dec 30, 2024

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) celebrates after placing third in the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley has drawn parallels between Carlos Sainz's 2025 move from Ferrari to Williams and Lewis Hamilton's switch from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013. At the time, Hamilton had just won his first world title and was persuaded by the late Mercedes chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda to join the team. The following year, F1 entered a new era of regulations, which Mercedes dominated until 2022. Hamilton won six world titles with Mercedes, totaling seven in 2020. The period also saw Mercedes win eight constructors' titles.

The Briton made a leap of faith from McLaren to Mercedes at a time when Mercedes was struggling in the midfield, while McLaren was a favorite team. Priestley believes history could repeat itself with Sainz, who moves next year from a strong team like Ferrari to a team like Williams that is struggling at the bottom of the Constructors' Championship, and in 2026, Formula 1 enters a new era where the grid will be reset again.

The new era could belong to Sainz and Williams, especially with team principal James Vowles revealing ambitious plans for the future starting in 2026, which convinced the Spaniard to join the Grove outfit. Highlighting the coincidence that could unfold in 2026, Priestley explained, as reported by RacingNews365:

"2026 is a massive opportunity for Williams.

"Lewis Hamilton was attracted to Mercedes because of the plan they showed him ahead of past regulation changes.

"We could be seeing the same happen with Sainz at Williams."

Williams faced several severe crashes this season, which put the team in a difficult position regarding the cost cap for the upcoming year. However, Sainz reportedly helped Williams secure a partnership with former Ferrari sponsor Santander, bringing the bank on board for 2025. This deal could provide essential financial support to help the team meet the cost cap limit. Priestley added:

"The Santander package that Carlos Sainz has brought to Williams will definitely help them, but we're in a cost-capped era of F1 now.

"You can bring in as much money as you want, but you can only spend as much as everyone else. Williams will become even more of a profitable entity. It will help them fill the budget and hit the cost cap. 

"Most of these sponsorship partners bring more than just money, some sponsorships bring tools, advanced personnel, expertise or more. 

"Maybe Santander are bringing in some financial experts at Williams, but I don't know."