Salary theory touted in Carlos Sainz v Alex Albon “No 1 driver” debate
Suggestion that Williams comཧpeted with Audi financially 🌌to land Carlos Sainz

The respective salaries of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon could be a factor at Williams next se🐷ason, it has 🍃been touted.
Williams have completed a huge deal to attract outgoing Ferrari drive👍r Sainz to their team for t꧃he next two years at least.
He will partner with Albon in an exciting-looking duo - but w꧒ill either be given the ‘No 1♓ driver’ status by team boss James Vowles?
“I don’t think there will necessarily be a No1 driver,” Bernie Collins said on the Sky 🔯F1 podcꩲast.
“It’ll be whoever is scoring the most point🐲s gets the most opp🗹ortunity.”
🍷But Craig Slater responded: “Sainz will surely be paid a lot more than Albon?
“I 🎐gather that the terms Williams were able to pay him were comparable to the big-money Audi deal.
“It’s an interesting aside at any s༒ports team when that is the case. You often get footballers insisting they are the highest-paid player on the team. It’s pure ego and priority in their mind that they are the favoured one.
“They won’t overtly favour Sainz. But [S🐼ainz and Albon] hav༺e come to the team in a different dynamic.
“Carlos has come in as unlucky 🌱to be left out at F🏅errari, and still winning races.
“Williams have helped Albon fantasti🐲cally ✅revitalise his career.
“It’s an interesting dynamic. Theཧy are𒉰n’t equal in terms of what they’re being paid. That’s often a marker.”
Sainz was ousted at Ferrar💖i by the 2025𝔍 blockbuster arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
But, evenꦗ amid Red Bull’s domination of F1, Ferrari’s Sainz won last year’s Singapore Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix at the start of this season.
The addition of a multi-time grand prix winner is a major addition to the ever-improving Williams, and a blow to Sauber/Audi and Alpine who also chased Sai🔯nz.

James was a sports jou꧃rnalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.