Carlos Sainz has therefore signed a contract with options at Williams… and more if he likes it! In the event of failure, he could still seize opportunities elsewhere or sign with Audi from 2026.
With no opening in a top team (Mercedes, Red Bull or McLaren), the Spanish driver had to choose between the two lowest ranked teams in the constructors’ championship, Williams and Sauber, given the uncertainty surrounding Alpine’s future in F1.
Given the choice, Sainz and his camp preferred a Williams-Mercedes, which is a priori more competitive than a Sauber-Ferrari (zero points in 2024) or an Audi, whose level is far from assured for 2026.
Williams Racing team principal James Vowles has therefore managed to attract a top driver, a multiple Grand Prix winner, to accelerate the team’s progress in 2025.
A true leader
What will happen next is unknown to us because even though the contract is presented as “multi-year” (a fashionable expression), it includes exit clauses in the event of insufficient performance or higher offers.
“I believe in this project, hammers the British engineer. I have left the comfort of Mercedes for a reason. We have a history that makes us the second most successful team in history on the grid, we have real tangible investors who are serious about this project, we want to succeed and this is what the path to success looks like.”
“We have need a leader, not just someone who is fast in the car, he emphasizes about Sainz. I wanted everything to be perfect to create performance. Carlos has those leadership qualities. If you look at the teams he’s been in, look where they started and where they are today. You’ll see he’s had a habit of finishing in a much better position in the team than when he started.”
Marriage of convenience or passion?
“James was very vocal that he wanted me at Williams, observe Carlos. I’m a big fan of him, his work ethic and the way he drives the team forward. This is going to be an exciting challenge and I’m going to dedicate myself to it wholeheartedly.”
But did he have a choice? Time will tell whether this is a marriage of convenience or passion, knowing that the Sainz clan has always had strong connections at Audi (even if the arrival of Mattia Binotto was probably too late to reverse the trend) and has established relationships of trust in other teams, just in case…
