Official: Carlos Sainz signs for Williams!

After many months of waiting, studying the multiple offers he had on the table and waiting, without luck, for some market movement that would open him up to a golden opportunity to have a winning car in 2025, he has made up his mind Carlos Sainz.

It’s official: Carlos Sainz will sign for Williams and he will drive a car from the legendary Grove team from next season with a multi-year contract: for 2025, 2026 and “beyond”, as announced by the English team itself.

A very complicated decision

Carlos Sainz has been evaluating his future options since the start of the season. He has three firm offers on the table. The first, the Sauber team (Audi in 2026), which wants him to be the head of the project of the historic company of the four rings in its first race in F1. However, that means driving a Sauber in 2025, a team that is currently leading, before the arrival of the German giant, which is also full of unknowns, because no one knows how long Audi will fight for its victories. highest level of challenge in motor sport.

Then, came Williams’ choice. In short, it seems more attractive because the current English car is faster than the Sauber and should allow Carlos to fight in the middle zone, allowing the Madrid native to stand in certain events in the top 10 to keep his great F1 poster. And above all, it is a very attractive option because Williams uses Mercedes engines, something important for the change in regulations in 2026, because there is a strong buzz in the paddock that Mercedes and its customers will have a very fast machine at that time. That was reminiscent of 2014, when with the change in regulations, Williams was fighting for the podiums because it had a Mercedes engine that was far superior to the other engines.

At the last Spanish GP, it was almost assumed that Carlos Sainz would choose the Williams option, but Flavio Briatore arrived as the new advisor to the CEO of the Renault Group to straighten the course of Alpine. Flavio Briatore He promised to correct all the mistakes of the French team and make it a winner. In addition, it could be attractive because of his interest in installing a Mercedes engine from 2026. Carlos decided to wait.

And in the next quote, at Silverstone, Mercedes, a door that seemed to be closed, opened again Toto Wolff pointed out in an interview with MD that “Carlos Sainz is a chance if he decides to wait.” The decision was not easy: Mercedes wanted Verstappen. And if he doesn’t succeed, he could debate whether to field his junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli or opt for Sainz. But Toto was in no hurry. He wanted to wait for Max and he could do it until the end of the school year. It was too late and dangerous for Carlos.

Sainz didn’t want to wait any longer: he bet on Williams

Sainz cannot wait that long, because doing so could leave him without an F1 seat. Furthermore, the possibility of Verstappen moving to Mercedes is as low as the Red Bull seat opening up for Carlos. So, Sainz, one day after the start of the summer holidays, decided to leave his future closed, thus ending months and months of analysis, phone calls and meetings in order to focus on his holidays and in the second part of the F1 course. , where he would fight for one last victory with Ferrari before he left Williams.

Sainz: “The goal is to get Williams back to the front of the grid”

“I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams from 2025. It is no secret that the driving market this year is very complex for many reasons and that it took me some time to announce my decision. However, I am very confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my journey in F1 and I am very proud to join such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes have driven and left behind their mark on us sport,” said Carlos Sainz in a team statement.

“The ultimate goal of getting Williams back where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I accept with enthusiasm and positivity. 1, I will do my best to push Williams with every member of the team,” added Carlos.
“I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Williams Board of Directors for their confidence and determination. His strong leadership and conviction played an important role in my decision making. I truly believe that the core of every successful team lies within its people and culture. Williams is synonymous with heritage and pure competition, the foundations of the project ahead of us are very solid and I really want to be part of it starting next year,” he concluded.

Williams, a historic team that wants to be revived

James Vowles, head of Williams, assured a few weeks ago that his main goal is Carlos Sainz, but he does not want his arrival to be seen by the Spanish driver as “a springboard” who signed for another big team when the market shifted again in a few years. Vowles wants Carlos Sainz if the Spanish driver is determined to sign for Williams to help the project become a winner. Of course, in F1 you shouldn’t take anything away and if in the short term another door opens for Carlos in a big team, he should open it.

After passing Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari, Carlos Sainz He signed for his 5th team in F1 and will join the British team at the age of 30 (he will be 30 this September 1). He will add another legendary team to his career in F1, a competition which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

We must remember that the English team is one of the most legendary in F1, winner of 114 Grand Prix, with 128 pole positions, 313 podiums and, above all, champion of 9 Constructors’ titles (1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1997) and 7 Driver’s crowns.

Along with Williams, reigned Alan Jones (1980, Keke Rosberg (1982), Nelson Piquet (1987), Nigel Mansell (1992), Alain Prost (1993), Damon Hill (1996) and Jacques Villeneuve (1997).

However, the current Williams is far from his glory days. After suffering and overcoming a period of deep economic and sports crisis and the sale of the Williams family team to the Dorilton Capital investment fund for $180 million, the new era of regulations began in 2022 with the red lantern and is progressing. In 2023 it was the 7th best team, although in 2024 it was 9th.

Currently, he has a car to fight to get into Q3 and fight in a very tight middle zone against teams like RB, Alpine, Haas or Aston Martin, with better and worse races depending on the characteristics of the circuit. Although in that battle, Williams now occupies the penultimate place in the Constructors, with only 4 points, all of which Albon achieved with two ninth positions (Monaco and Great Britain).

But that’s true Williams has taken a step forward inside, with a better structure, clear ideas, a firmer foundation and a more promising future than a few years ago. They want to go back to being the winning team they used to be. Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz They will work side by side from 2025 to restore glory to Grove’s team, although the challenge seems very complicated. The big hope for the Englishman is the Mercedes engine of 2026. There could be one of the keys to the future of the team and the choices of whether or not Sainz can return soon to fight for the podiums.

James Vowles, Williams Team Principal

“Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties. Carlos has proven time and time again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with a race winning streak, and emphasizes this is the upward trajectory we’re on,” said Williams team boss James Vowles.
“Carlos not only brings experience and performance, but also a fierce drive to extract every millisecond from the team and the car; the combination is perfect,” he argued.
“With Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, we will have one of the most formidable line-ups of drivers on the grid with enormous experience to guide us towards the new regulations in 2026. Their belief in the mission of this organization shows the amount of work being done behind the scenes People should be in no doubt about our ambition and drive as we continue our journey back to competitiveness – here we are, we’re serious and, with the support of Dorilton , we’re investing in whatever it takes to get back to the front of the grid,” he added.