Disclaimer: The following views are my own and not everything is fact.
The summer break is upon us and although Formula One may be quiet for a few weeks, the media is anything but. It is this point in the season where everything is about driver contracts and with a majority of F1 fans keeping an eager eye on what current Williams driver; George Russell plans to do with his career next season, I take a look at what options Williams has for 2022 if the young Brit does indeed move to a new team.
Although nothing yet seems to be set in stone, F1's worst kept secret could soon become a reality. George Russell could be making the move to Mercedes. But where would this leave Williams? It's no secret that in the past few years Williams have struggled. From 2018-2020 they scored a total of 8 miserable points and their financial woes didn't help them either with longstanding team owner Frank Williams and his daughter Claire selling the team and leaving their roles in 2020 in order to give them, the team, a more financially stable future.
But despite this, things seem to be looking up for the small team from Grove, England. At the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, team drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi scored the team ten valuable points, ending the long pointless drought. And, at least one of the cars has had the pace (and the driver) to consistently make appearances in Q2 and Q3 in qualifying. They may still be back-markers for now, but maybe not for long. The nine time World Constructor Champions are making a come back, slowly but surely.
And then there's the question of who should drive for the team? For starters, thanks to the improvements the team have made over the past year, a number of potential candidates for the seats have come forward and all of them could bring something to this little team. Whether it's experience, speed or race craft, I take a look at the six drivers who seem to be the front runners for a seat. I'll also be discussing why I think none of the Williams Academy Drivers will appear in next years Williams F1 Team driver lineup.
Nicholas Latifi
Let's begin with Nicholas Latifi. The 26 year old Canadian driver has been driving for Williams since 2020 and seems quite likely to keep his seat for 2022. In the 18 months he has spent racing for Williams, Latifi has scored a total of 6 points after finishing 7th at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. Before that his highest finish was 11th which he achieved at multiple races in 2020. In my opinion, it could be ideal for Williams if they were to keep Latifi. A decent second driver who has, at times, been consistent and can support his teammate while bringing some £££ to the team. As a team at the back of the field, a driver like Latifi would be attractive. But, what are Williams looking for? Experience? Speed? That's the question.
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas debuted in Formula One in 2013, ironically with the Williams team. A heavily talked about up and coming talent; Bottas stayed with Williams until the end of 2016 before moving up to the front of the field with Mercedes, whom he still races for to this day. However, things are not looking too good for Bottas at Mercedes. With his constant struggles during the race weekends and with current Williams driver George Russell waiting in the wings; Bottas' time at Mercedes seems to be drawing to a close. So what's next for the Finn? A move back to Williams seems do-able but should it be? Personally, I am conflicted. Bottas has the speed and the expertise to help the team regain what it once was. Despite the changes in management, he knows this team, he also knows a top team. He could be exactly what they are looking for. However, at the same time he has had his chance. He'll never be a World Champion. Maybe it could be time to move on?
Pierre Gasly
And then we come to Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman's career has been that of a rollercoaster. Joining what was then Toro Rosso back in 2017, Pierre has made himself known in the world of Formula One. Most notably, he is known for his infamous demotion from the Red Bull team back to Toro Rosso in 2019. But, that didn't stop him from going on to win the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with Alpha Tauri, Toro Rosso's new name. And now, after numerous years with the Red Bull outfit, Gasly's seem to have emerged as a contender for the potential Williams seat in 2022. However, this is one move that I don't see happening. Gasly is a talent that Red Bull seem convinced they will be able to hold on to. In my opinion, Gasly needs to get out of the Red Bull family if he is to have any success. But a move to Williams won't help him. Not yet anyway. Of course he has the experience to help the team but when will they be fighting for points, podiums or wins again? It could be next year with the regulation changes or it could be ten years time. Gasly doesn't have the time to take that risk. Staying at Alpha Tauri seems the most likely option for the Frenchman next year.
Daniil Kvyat
Russian driver Daniil Kvyat was once expected to do great things in Formula One after winning the GP3 championship in 2013. However, it was not meant to be. Eerily similar to Gasly above; Kvyat was also infamously demoted back to Toro Rosso from the Red Bull Racing Team although despite a third place in Germany 2019, Kvyat's luck had ran out and now the Russian finds himself without a seat for this 2021 season. So why now does he find himself as a contender for the Williams seat? A driver in Kvyat's position would do anything for one of the 20 seats available and if that meant he'd be racing at the back of the grid, then so be it. He wants to be out there, racing in the pinnacle of motorsport. Personally, I think Williams will be an ideal place for him. He knows Formula One and he's a proven winner. As long as he keeps himself out of trouble, he can save his career with this move. I'm definitely watching this space.
Nico Hulkenberg
Another driver left "seat-less" for this year is Nico Hulkenberg. After a shock exit from the sport at the end of 2019, when the German was left without a seat, fans around the globe have wandered how someone with immense talent could be left out like that. But now he is reportedly eyeing a return with the Williams outfit and I, for one, can't blame him. He is, in a way, in the same situation as Kvyat. However, Hulkenberg may come across as a more attractive option to the team with his cleaner race craft and higher experience level. But, as a current reserve and development driver for Aston Martin, will they be willing to let him go? Only time will tell.
Nyck de Vries
Now, this is an interesting one as Dutch racer Nyck de Vries has NEVER raced in Formula One. In fact, at the time of writing, de Vries has been the 2021 Formula E World Champion for less than 24 hours. And, with his Formula E team reportedly leaving the sport for next season, could Nyck be making his way to Formula One? It's possible. Nyck is a Mercedes driver and Williams runs Mercedes engines. The Mercedes Formula One team will be looking to keep a Mercedes backed driver at Williams for the foreseeable future. So this move seems highly likely. However, I'm not fond of it. Nyck has found his feet in Formula E and Formula E is no feeder series. Personally, I'd like to see him stay there and defend his title, but again comes the question of "what team?" I'm worried Formula One might knock his career but as it's the pinnacle of motorsport, I'm sure he is vying for that seat. Out of all the drivers mentioned above, Nyck seems to be in first place.
So, there we have it. The few drivers that seem to be in high contention for the Williams seats. But what about the Williams Driver Academy? They back drivers for a reason, to make their paths to Formula One more simple and more cost effective. But, if their not getting the desired results they won't get the desired outcome. Simple. Right now, all of Williams drivers in the academy are just average. We may see them make their debuts someday but not in the near future.
As for the drivers above, I think we could possibly be seeing a Nicholas Latifi and Nyck de Vries line up at the team for next season. I suppose it seems the most logical to have their current driver and also a Mercedes driver in the team. If I had the choice, I'd be looking at a Daniil Kvyat and Nico Hulkenberg line up. I don't know if it's because I feel sorry for them for not having a seat or if I generally miss watching them race. Either way, they could be good mixture to have with experience and race craft. But for now, we sit and wait in anticipation.
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