It is now official that Carlos Sainz has been signed by Williams for 2025, and the Spanish driver will race alongside Alexander Albon.
The news of Sainz joining Williams for 2025 had been circulating for a long time, but now it’s official, following a fantastic weekend at the Belgian circuit of Spa Francorchamps. The final decision was made in the last ten days, thanks to a concession from the British team that met one of Sainz’s key demands. The Spanish driver’s desire to return to a top team has always been known, and unlike Alpine and Audi-Sauber (initially also Williams itself), Sainz has secured a contract for the single 2025 season.
Williams announcement refers to a “2025 season and beyond” agreement, but in reality, the “beyond” option is in favor of the driver, allowing him to consider potential offers from top teams for the 2026 championship. “I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards – Sainz commented – It’s no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons, and it took me some time to reach my final decision.”
“However, I am fully convinced that Williams is the right place to continue my journey in F1– Sainz continued. — I am extremely proud to join a historic and successful team for which many of my childhood heroes have raced, making their mark on the sport. The ultimate goal is to bring Williams back to where it deserves to be, at the front of the grid, and it is a challenge I embrace with enthusiasm. I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again, and starting from January 1st, I will give my all alongside every single member of the team. I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Williams board of directors for their trust..”
“Having Carlos join Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties – commented Team Principal James Vowles — Carlos has repeatedly proven to be one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with a winning pedigree, and this highlights the upward trajectory we are on. Carlos brings not only experience and performance but also a strong determination to extract every millisecond from the team and the car; the combination is perfect. With Alex and Carlos, I believe we will have one of the most competitive driver line-ups.”
