Sainz’s early shocking snub: How Carlos left Williams hanging

The latest season of Formula 1’s popular ‘Drive to Survive’ series reveals a tense moment for the Williams team last summer when its future recruit, Carlos Sainz, bailed on team boss James Vowles just when the two parties agreed to join forces.

In 2024, Sainz’s uncertain Formula 1 future following his dismissal by Ferrari became a gripping subplot captured by Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

Episode four of the latest season, “Carlos Signs” – which will premier this week on March 7, showcases the Spaniard’s indecision as he navigates his exit from the Scuderia and his replacement by Lewis Hamilton.

The cameras reveal a rollercoaster of negotiations, dashed hopes, and paddock gossip, culminating in Sainz’s eventual commitment to Williams in late July.

A Bitter Exit and a Pivotal Choice

Sainz’s journey begins with raw emotion. “I honestly didn’t expect it. It leaves me bitter,” he confesses about losing his Ferrari seat to Hamilton.

Determined to secure his future, he adds, “I’m going to negotiate and get myself a good deal.”

Williams team principal James Vowles sees Sainz as a game-changer, telling producers, “I wake up in the morning and I go to sleep at night thinking of nothing else.”

Williams team principal James Vowles (R) with Williams board member James Matthews.

By June, at the Spanish Grand Prix, Vowles is confident, meeting Sainz’s manager, Carlos “Caco” Oñoro, and assuring him, “I really am confident this is a good contract and a good place.

“I know I’m going to get stronger over the next few races, I’m quite an honorable individual. You want a relationship? I want a relationship. Let’s put a piece of paper together that covers it off.”

The paddock buzzes with speculation. McLaren’s Zak Brown spots Vowles and Oñoro at breakfast, while Lando Norris reveals Sainz’s dilemma.

“I spoke to Carlos yesterday,” the Briton says. “In the short term it’s Williams, but longer term Audi.”

Red Bull’s Christian Horner hears Williams has “pretty much confirmed Sainz,” and Vowles tells board member James Matthews they’re “pretty much there,” likening the process to dating: “You start with texts, then [there’s] dinner, then you end up in a hotel room.”

The Hotel Room Twist

The episode’s climax unfolds in a Barcelona hotel. Williams prepares a conference room – blinds closed, champagne on ice – awaiting Sainz’s signature.

Vowles waits over 20 minutes, but Sainz never arrives.

Flavio Briatore, Alpine F1 Team Executive Advisor with Carlos Sainz Sr in Barcelona.

A producer probes, “You were going to sign for Williams but then changed your mind. What happened there?”

Sainz replies, “Flavio [Briatore] called me.” Briatore, Alpine’s returning executive advisor, throws a wrench into the plan.

Sainz quizzes Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the car, prompting reserve driver Jack Doohan to jest he’s “the paddock sl*t.” Horner warns, “Flavio will f**k him 100 per cent, and he’s expensive, which Flavio will hate.”

Resolution and Reflection

Sainz’s delay frustrates Williams, but his calculus pays off. In late July, he signs a two-year deal with the Grove-based outfit.

“Congratulations,” Vowles says as Sainz enters to finalize it. The saga, blending ambition, betrayal, and Briatore’s meddling, underscores Drive to Survive’s knack for capturing real drama.

Sainz’s initial ghosting of Vowles – prolonging a “done deal” – reveals a driver weighing every option, leaving viewers hooked on his next move.

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