Asked how much of an input he has in the situation, and what a driver such as Sainz would bring to Williams, Albon said: “I wouldn’t say I’m so involved. We talk about it, definitely, but I’m not there to say who I want to be as a team mate.

“It’s interesting. Obviously there’s a lot of drivers out there. On my side it’s just really about doing my own job. You guys [the media] talk about it more than me!”

NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix

Sargeant, on the other hand, vowed to keep his head down amid the driver market rumours and pinned his hopes on updates that should bring the two Williams machines “more inline” after their chassis-related dramas early in the season.

“I mean, the update is just that I’m going to keep doing my best, keep chipping away at it, keep trying to find more and more performance,” he said of his future. “It’s all right there. I think as the cars come more inline it’ll definitely give me a better chance going forward.”

As for what can be achieved at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and across the upcoming triple-header, Albon expressed hope that Williams can get some more points on the board and build momentum.