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Carlos Sainz wasn’t kidding when he said in Belgium he didn’t want to talk about his Formula One future any more.
Not even 24 hours after the checkered flag at Spa marked the start of F1’s summer break, he put an end to the six-month rigmarole surrounding his next move by announcing he will join Williams for 2025.
It’s rare for an F1 driver to have their pick of seats in the way Sainz did for next year. After Sainz lost his 2025 Ferrari drive to Lewis Hamilton, it gradually became clear that neither Red Bull nor Mercedes was seriously considering him as a fix for their own driver conundrums, even if he was by far the most qualified candidate. That left him to weigh up which rebuild project he wanted to join upon leaving Ferrari.
In the end, Sainz went for Williams over both Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, and Alpine. He had his choice of the three, all of which had been clear in their desire to sign him as their top target for next year.
A few years ago, the prospect of a driver moving from Ferrari to Williams would have been laughable, so dire were its fortunes. But now, for Sainz, it looks like the most logical and secure next step ahead of his peak years in F1.
Why Sainz bought into Vowles’ vision for Williams
Since taking charge of Williams at the start of last year, James Vowles has been clear in his long-term vision to restore the team to its former strength. The arrival of Sainz is arguably the greatest endorsement yet for those plans.
Williams initially seemed like an outlier option for Sainz, given it wasn’t a works team with the backing of a car manufacturer, and it was very much still in the rebuilding phase. But as the Spaniard and his management explored all options, the plans Vowles put forward became increasingly attractive.
Williams may have struggled on-track this year, running short on parts and an entire spare chassis in the opening rounds, and scoring only four points in the opening 14 races in part due to its overweight car. But Vowles has been vocal about his focus on 2026, when F1’s technical regulations will be overhauled. To him, that is the year where the foundations being laid right now can translate to strong performance on the track.
Moreover, there is no pressure on Vowles from the team owner, Dorilton Capital, to turn things around instantly. They are all committed to the long game over taking shortcuts to appease the here and now.
The shift is already occurring within Williams. When Vowles joined the team, the headcount was around 700 people. Now, it’s over 1,000. The team recently announced 26 new hires, including staff from Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine. Had it waited another week or two, that number would have been even greater. It has also sparked a cultural change at the team, taking the focus away from survival and pivoting to the long-term; a fresh concept for those who worked there five years ago.
Vowles was also happy to give Sainz the time to make a decision, understanding how important it was for his future. He said on Sunday they’d spoken “pretty late into a few nights” about every aspect of the team, both its current form and what was coming in the future. There was no pressure applied to force him into a decision.
Sainz believes in the vision that team principal James Vowles has set for Williams. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)
This also played into Williams’ hands, giving time for some signs of uncertainty to emerge among the rivals for Sainz’s signature. Alpine is currently going through two major transitions as it plans to end its engine program from 2026, as well as moving onto a fourth team principal in four years by the end of next month. Sauber also has a new man in charge after Audi, dissatisfied with the direction of its F1 preparations, opted to replace Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffman with ex-Ferrari F1 boss Mattia Binotto.
The teams may be taking action to boost their futures, yet both lack one thing Williams has for the first time in years: stability. It is something Sainz has always thrived upon and prioritized in his contracts, having struggled in the early stages of his F1 career with year-to-year deals.
Stability is also something Williams wants from its drivers, getting the commitment for the long-term. Alex Albon signed a multi-year extension earlier this season, and Vowles said on Sunday at Spa he wasn’t offering Sainz a contract with an out to leave whenever he likes. So this won’t simply be a stop-gap until a front-running seat emerges once again, despite suggestions to the contrary. “There are only a handful of people in the world that know what we’re talking about,” Vowles said.
Sainz said on Sunday he was a “big fan” of Vowles and what he was doing for Williams. Now, he has the chance to sit at the heart of that vision and act as the biggest boost to date for its chances.
What this means for Sauber and Alpine
Even prior to news of his Ferrari exit, Sainz had been identified as Audi’s number one target to join for its first year in F1. Like Williams, it was always going to be a long-term project, one that would require time and patience, even with all its experience and expertise. Securing a driver of Sainz’s caliber would vindicate its plans for the Sauber team, just as it now is for Williams. Now, it must look elsewhere for a teammate for the incoming Nico Hülkenberg.
Sauber’s season has been miserable. The team hasn’t scored a point, nor has it looked like even threatening the top 10 since Zhou Guanyu finished 11th at the Bahrain season opener. Asking a driver to sit through a year of similar pain in 2025, even with the promise of Audi’s arrival the following year, is not an easy sell.
Zhou has been clear in his desire to remain with the team, even if he has underwhelmed this season. Teammate Valtteri Bottas has been more coy, saying he’s got a list of seats prioritized for next year, without sharing in what order. The Finn was Williams’ next option had it missed out on Sainz.
Having lost out on Sainz, Sauber must now decide on its 2025 lineup. (Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Alpine has plenty to resolve off the race track at present, now including finding an alternative to Sainz. It does at least have Pierre Gasly locked in for the long term. It could turn to reserve driver Jack Doohan, who has been doing a private testing program this year, or Mick Schumacher, who races for its sports car team, should it want to keep things in-house, although both would carry an element of risk.
The experience of Bottas may also appeal, while it has history with Zhou, who was a member of its driver academy prior to joining Sauber in 2022. The other free agent currently on the grid is Kevin Magnussen, who will leave Haas but is seemingly at peace with potentially not racing in F1 next year.
Whatever happens, Sauber and Alpine will need to accept they are onto ‘plan B’ at best for next year, with Sainz’s rebuttal hardly being a ringing endorsement for either of their rebuilds.
Outgoing Haas driver Magnussen referred to Sainz as being the “cork in the bottle” for the driver market a few weeks ago. Now uncorked, ‘silly season’ can finally start to accelerate just as F1 prepares for its summer break.
(Lead image of Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas: Vince Mignott/MB Media, James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1/Getty Images)
