Drive to Survive Season 7: From Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch to Red Bull’s musical chairs – 5 standout moments in Season 7

Ultimately, of course, the seat goes to Mercedes protégé Kimi Antonelli, with the teenager’s delight – and that of his family – caught on camera when he is informed.

Sainz ponders his F1 future

Off the back of Hamilton’s news, the series goes to the heart of Sainz’s painstaking search for another F1 team – the Spaniard looking up and down the grid to seek out the best option.

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Williams appear to be in pole position to land Sainz’s signature in the appropriately titled Episode 4, ‘Carlos Signs’, only for there to be a delay to proceedings. When asked why this is the case in the now famous Netflix chair, Sainz states: “Because Flavio [Briatore] called me.”

But amid that late interest from Alpine, as well as Kick Sauber, Williams Team Principal James Vowles’ persistent efforts to tempt Sainz in – “I wake up and go to sleep thinking of nothing else” – pay off in the end, with chilled champagne ready to go as contracts are drawn up.

When the episode reaches its conclusion, Sainz, his manager and cousin Carlos Oñoro and Vowles meet in a hotel room to put pen to paper and make it official, with the multiple race winner declaring that he is “totally convinced” the move will pay off.