Carlos Sainz will join Williams for the 2025 Formula One season, putting an end to months of speculation about his future.
Sainz, 29, has been at the heart of the F1 driver market for next season ever since Ferrari announced in February it had signed Lewis Hamilton, leaving the Spaniard without a seat.
Sainz faced heavy interest from both Sauber, which will become Audi’s factory F1 team from 2026, and Alpine for next year, but turned down both their offers to join Williams.
The deal was announced by the team on Monday, just 24 hours after the final race before F1’s summer break. Its team principal, James Vowles, said on Sunday he thought the “odds are in our favour” to land Sainz after lengthy negotiations.
Very happy to announce I’ll be joining @WilliamsRacing next season! Excited about the project and the challenges ahead of us! 💪🏻
Muy contento de poder anunciar que el año que viene me uniré a @WilliamsRacing! Entusiasmado con el proyecto y con los retos que tendremos por… pic.twitter.com/oUg5IexunR
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 29, 2024
The move sees Sainz join Alex Albon at Williams for next season, replacing American driver Logan Sargeant, who looks poised to drop off the F1 grid altogether.
Sainz has agreed a multi-year deal with the team that will see him race there in “2025, 2026 and beyond” according to its announcement.
“It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision,” Sainz said in a release.
Sainz was in action at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
“However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.
“The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.”
Sainz secured a sixth-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.
Why Williams won the race for Sainz
Sainz has been the biggest-name free agent in the market throughout this year. Despite its fluid nature, particularly with Mercedes taking their time to finalize Hamilton’s replacement and the uncertainty at Red Bull, he always looked braced for a potential step down the grid.
Between Williams, Alpine and Sauber, he had three teams all looking to invest heavily for the future and turn their fortunes around, identifying Sainz as a key part of their plans to rebuild.
Given the importance of the decision for Sainz, arguably in the peak years of his career, he always stressed the need to take time over the decision.
In recent weeks, major changes have occurred at both Alpine and Sauber. Alpine is planning to end its factory engine program from 2026, and also has a new team principal on the horizon. Audi has also changed its F1 management, replacing Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffman with the former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.
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Despite years of underinvestment and the challenge of survival, Williams has remained stable through recent changes. Vowles has articulated a clear long-term vision to elevate the team up the grid, bolstered by significant financial backing from owner Dorilton Capital.
It may have underperformed this year with an overweight car that has been starved of upgrades as a result, but it is taking a “no shortcuts” approach. Even if something could benefit the team this year, if there are greater gains available for 2026 — Vowles’ target year when the regulations change — then that must be prioritized.
It is this vision that will have convinced Sainz that his best option for 2025 and beyond is with Williams, playing the next step in its rebuild.
Vowles said in the announcement he thought Sainz and Albon would be “one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid and with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026.”
“Their belief in this organisation’s mission demonstrates the magnitude of the work going on behind the scenes,” he added.
“People should be in no doubt about our ambition and momentum as we continue our journey back to competitiveness — we are here, we are serious and with Dorilton’s backing we are investing in what it takes to return to the front of the grid.”
(Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images)