Forgotten former F1 driver pops up as Carlos Sainz ally in Williams garage

Carlos Sainz had a familiar ex-F1 driver assisting him from inside his Williams garage at pre-season Bahrain testing.

Sainz is a high-profile recruit from Ferrari for James Vowles’ team who will form an exciting driver duo with Alex Albon this year.

During Sainz’s running at Bahrain on Wednesday, attention turned to an unexpected figure helping his engineers.

Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz reported: “I was waiting to see what the Sainz influence would be at Williams, in terms of the mood and the vibe.

“What I found interesting was that not only have you got Carlos Sainz Senior, fresh off the Dakar Rally, a shame for him that it couldn’t be longer, at the back of the garage with a head-set on.

“But also it’s interesting: the influence of Roberto Merhi.

“Remember Roberto Merhi? A former Formula 1 driver who drove back in the 2010s, he didn’t have a particularly long career.

“He has a secondary position as a mate of Sainz’s. He’s always around the place, with Sainz Senior.”

Roberto Merhi helping Carlos Sainz and Williams

Merhi is a Spanish racing driver who first appeared in F1 in 2014 for the Caterham team.

A year later he drove for Marussia, finishing the 2015 championship in 19th place with a best result of P13 in Russia.

Kravitz continued: “Merhi is not just standing and watching. He’s actually talking to the engineers, understanding a lot, acting as a second pair of eyes for Sainz to understand the car and the way that Williams work.

“He can be of use to Sainz, as well as just his mate.

“I wonder if Williams are allowing Sainz more latitude than he was used to at Ferrari, when the drivers’ gangs were kept more separate from the engineers.”

Alex Brundle added about Merhi: “Famous for wanting the car super low and stiff! I shared a couple of sportscars with him, a super driver.

“The last time I saw him? We sprayed water and Motorland Aragon to do a tyre test.

“It’s interesting to allow drivers to have a second set of eyes in the paddock.

“If there is a driver who is a trusted friend, an ally, a countryman, and not a threat to you, he can be there in the garage to help.

“It does help to have a mate at the back of the garage, as it does to have an ally in the engineering room, to give an outside perspective.”