Williams won’t be achieving title glory in 2025, according to Guenther Steiner.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has dismissed Williams’ interest in Red Bull design F1 guru Adrian Newey and outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz as “wishful thinking.”
He is concerned that the team might appear “quite foolish” if both agreements fail to materialize.
Guenther Steiner questions Williams pursuit of Adrian Newey, Carlos Sainz
With Newey and Sainz announcing their departures from their respective teams in F1 2024, Williams team principal James Vowles has made no secret of his desire to make a splash in the market and attract a big name to Grove.
A few days after the confirmation of Newey’s departure from Red Bull in early 2025, Vowles disclosed during the Miami Grand Prix that he had engaged in casual talks with the 65-year-old regarding a possible comeback to Williams.
During the recent Monaco Grand Prix, it was revealed that Williams has engaged in discussions with Sainz. Sainz, who is set to be substituted by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in F1 2025.
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Despite finishing at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in five out of the last six seasons and being winless since 2012, Williams’ interest in the pair remains.
When questioned about Williams’ discussions with Newey and Sainz, Steiner expressed his surprise at Vowles’ transparency regarding the negotiations with prominent individuals in the paddock.
He stated that Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur, who are the team bosses of Mercedes and Ferrari respectively, would adopt a more cautious approach when dealing with the media.
He told the Red Flags podcast: “A few weeks ago, Adrian Newey was going there. I don’t hear anything about that one anymore.
“I believe these are not mere rumors as James openly spoke about them. It’s not just a rumor.”
“When the team principal mentions having a conversation with Adrian, it naturally catches the attention of the press. After all, that’s their purpose—to report such information. If someone makes a statement, it becomes crucial for you to cover it.”
Given the lack of information about its seriousness, I would classify it as somewhat of wishful thinking.
“Clearly, he intends to engage in conversation – that’s what one should do, communicate – but it is crucial to ensure a certain level of confidence in the outcomes before expressing it.”
“If Toto or Fred were to reveal the individuals they interact with throughout the day, we would be astonished, envisioning Ferrari needing an additional building next year to accommodate the extensive list of people they communicate with.”
“It also involves a bit of namedropping: ‘We managed to secure Adrian Newey for this.'”
I’m not sure if Adrian truly desires to attend Williams. It’s possible that he does, but considering the numerous opportunities available to him, he has the freedom to choose whichever option he prefers.
“I can’t fathom his reason for choosing Williams, but perhaps he has insider knowledge. Perhaps they provide him with a unique opportunity that no one else can offer, maybe he even gets partial ownership of the team.”
On Friday, reports emerged from Italy suggesting that Sainz might enter into a one-year contract with Williams for F1 2025. The deal would include an option for Sainz to extend his stay for an additional season, providing him the freedom to pursue his ultimate goal of securing a Red Bull seat in F1 2026.
Despite the involvement of Newey and Sainz, Steiner is not confident enough to place a bet on Williams being crowned World Champions next year.
He asked, “What is the point of claiming that this is what you wanted to do when you haven’t accomplished it, only to catch up later after a period of no success?”
“The only thing that truly matters is the results. This applies not only to Formula 1, but also to every aspect of life. You can engage in endless talk without ever taking action.”
It would be interesting to see James become the World Champion next year, and I’m completely okay with that. It would certainly add excitement to Formula 1.
If I were to make a guess, I wouldn’t place any bets on that as it’s quite unpredictable.
“You are constantly engaged in conversations. As a team principal, you interact with numerous individuals, although with certain individuals, it may merely be a brief exchange of questions like, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?'”
Carlos Sainz did not approach them begging for a cockpit; James simply asked him if he was interested in joining Williams and suggested having a discussion about it.
“Fred and Toto engage in conversations with various individuals, including sponsors and exceptional companies. However, it is advisable to keep these interactions private as it would be embarrassing if they don’t materialize.”
“It’s possible that Carlos and Adrian will sign in the next few weeks, which would be a pleasant surprise for me.”
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