Carlos Sainz calling Williams home from 2025 on two-year deal

Carlos Sainz announced on Monday that he had signed a two-year deal to race for Williams starting from the 2025 season amid what he said was an “exceptionally complex” market for Formula One drivers.

The Spaniard will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2024 campaign after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was announced as his replacement at the Italian giants earlier this year.

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Sainz has won three F1 races so far in his career, the most recent at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

Having previously driven for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren, Sainz had been linked with several teams for the 2025 season including Alpine, Sauber and Mercedes.

The right move

But on Monday it was confirmed he had agreed an initial two-year deal at Williams, with an option to extend.

“I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards,” Sainz said in a team statement.

“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.”

He added: “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 will replace Logan Sargeant at Williams, where he will partner Alex Albon.

“Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties,” said Williams team principal James Vowles.

“Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upwards trajectory we are on.”

Open slots left

Sainz’s confirmation leaves four vacant slots on the entry list for 2025 after current Alpine driver, Esteban Ocon, announced earlier this month that a contract had been signed with Haas alongside Ferrari junior driver, Oliver Bearman.

The latter, who stood in for Sainz in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, will replace Kevin Magnussen as part of a complete driver overhaul at the American outfit after Nico Hulkenburg’s announced a return to Sauber in 2025 with a view of forming part of Audi’s takeover of the team in 2026.

As it stands, the remaining open seats are at Sauber alongside Hulkenberg, Alpine alongside Pierre Gasly, RB VCARB next to Yuki Tsunoda and Mercedes where current F2 driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, remains favourite to partner George Russell in place of Ferrari-bound Hamilton.

Additional reporting by Charl Bosch

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