The Formula 1 driver market is set for the next wave of a significant shake-up as Alex Albon confirms he will remain with Williams, potentially starting a "domino effect" among teams.
A fortnight ago in Miami, the British-born Thai driver was still undecided about his future with the Grove-based outfit.
"Nico (Hulkenberg) has triggered something with the announcement at Sauber and I'm sure that the second driver will be announced soon," Albon said at the time.
"A lot of decisions for the entire grid will be made in the next two weeks," he also predicted.
True to that prediction, Williams revealed on Wednesday that Albon, 28, will stay with the team into the new regulatory period beginning in 2026.
He had been linked with potential moves to Red Bull, Mercedes, and also Audi-owned Sauber, Haas, and Alpine.
"It must be mentioned that the competition's interest in Albon had recently waned somewhat after the mediocre start to the season, including a few crashes," observed Tobias Gruner, a journalist for Auto Motor und Sport.
Logan Sargeant's position alongside Albon appears to be in jeopardy, with speculation that 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli, linked to Toto Wolff and Williams' engine supplier Mercedes, could make his F1 debut as soon as he secures a super license.
"According to our information," Gruner stated, "Mick Schumacher is not on team boss (James) Vowles' list."
Gunther Steiner, who replaced Schumacher at Haas, remains cautious.
"Who would have thought that Hulkenberg would come back after his three-year break and will now even be a works Audi driver?" Steiner remarked to Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
"Who would have thought that Lewis Hamilton would ever leave Mercedes?" he added. "In Formula 1, anything is possible."
A major contender still available is soon-to-depart Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, though it's believed that Mercedes boss Wolff is prepared to wait until October, when Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull becomes clearer.
Sainz does not hide the fact that Audi-Sauber is an option.
"My father will always speak well of Audi and how confident he is that every sporting project of Volkswagen will succeed," the Spaniard told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali expects the next phase in the 'silly season' to begin soon.
"I expect a domino effect towards Silverstone," he told Italian media this week, "and a defined 2025 grid towards Monza." body check tags ::
