Former McLaren F1 mechanic Marc Priestley has pondered whether Carlos Sainz's move to Williams is similar to Lewis Hamilton's decision to join Mercedes ahead of the 2013 season.
Hamilton famously left McLaren to join the Silver Arrows, having been attracted by its plan for the new regulations in 2014.
It resulted in the most successful partnership in F1 history.
With the new power unit regulations being just around the corner in 2026, Priestley wonders if Sainz has been convinced to join Williams by a similar plan.
"2026 is a massive opportunity for Williams," Priestley. told Casino Uden Rofus.
"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."
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Santander boost
Moving from Ferrari to Williams is a clear step backwards in the pecking order for Sainz, with the Grove-based team having finished ninth in 2024.
Next year will likely not be significantly better, with all eyes being on whether Mercedes can deliver Williams with a strong power unit for the new regulations.
For Williams, the arrival of the Spaniard is significant, given not only Sainz's ability but also his financial backing.
Sainz is supported by Spanish bank Santander, who have joined Williams as an official partner for next season.
Whilst the British team cannot spend beyond the cost cap, Priestley has pointed out that having Santander onboard will help the outfit spend closer to the legal limit.
"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," Priestley added.
"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."
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