Carlos Sainz to Williams Is More Than Intriguing

Heading into this weekend’s race in Monaco, one of the lead stories has been the flirtations between Carlos Sainz and the Williams Racing team. Cast off by Ferrari after the team signed Lewis Hamilton for 2025, Sainz is in both a challenging and enviable position in this year’s driver market. When compared to the other drives on a hot seat or who have yet to be confirmed for next, Sainz stands as the most attractive option.

Many of the pundits have pushed the notion that the 29 year-old Spaniard is likely to move to Red Bull, supplanting Sergio Perez. There is some logic to that idea. Sainz spent the first seven years of his Formula 1 career tied with Red Bull, first with the sister Red Bull team, then Toro Rosso, then with engine provider and works team Renault. For some people, these past connections indicate a safe landing spot at Red Bull.

That kind of link, however, seems tenuous at best, especially considering that for the last six years, he drove for McLaren for two and the last four with Ferrari. If Red Bull wanted Sainz, they could have jumped at the chance in 2020, but no return to the team materialized. The adage that you can never go home again is looking like the more realistic perspective in his career, throwing in the fact that Red Bull has intimated that they cannot afford the three-time grand prix winner.

Of course, no one believes the rhetoric that Red Bull does not have the money to sign him. Such a line looks more like semantical bloviation than a legitimate reason. Kick Sauber is said to have made Sainz a substantial offer and one that would set the team up with a solid driver when Audi begins exerting their influence. Sainz let that offer expire, continuing to hold out hope for a better seat.

Yet the latest offer that is circulating in the rumor mill is even more peculiar than Sauber, and perhaps more enticing. Williams going after Sainz to pair him with the recently re-signed Alex Albon is a bold move – and a brilliant play.

First, let’s recognize that Williams has improved but is still far removed from competing at the front of the field. Since being bought by Dorilton Capitol in 2020, the team has shown some improvement but has yet to make any substantial jumps forward. Dorilton has infused the team with better funding but has still not invested seriously enough into the team to make it anything other than a questionable investment for the company.

But team principal James Vowles has acknowledged…