Carlos Sainz will race for Williams in Formula 1 next year in what the team has described as a deal that goes into the championship’s new rules era in 2026.
After learning he would leave his current Ferrari team at the start of this year with Lewis Hamilton being signed to race for the Scuderia alongside Charles Leclerc, Sainz has deliberated over his next move.
Williams had thought its chance of signing Sainz had disappeared with Alpine’s surprise offer to the Spaniard around the time of his home race at Barcelona last month, but, after team boss James Vowles suggested over the Belgian GP last weekend that he was confident of securing Sainz’s services after all, the deal has finally been done.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Williams announced it “Welcomes Carlos Sainz for 2025, 2026 and beyond”.
He will replace Logan Sargeant in racing alongside Alex Albon next year, with Williams’ statement saying the team would “also like to thank Logan Sargeant for his hard work and dedication over the past two years” and that “Williams will give Logan every support as he looks to continue his racing career for 2025 and into the future”.
This statement and a later confirmation from Vowles suggests Sargeant will not lose his drive mid-year as has twice been rumoured over the first half of the 2024 campaign.
“I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards,” Sainz said.
“It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision.
“However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
“The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.
“I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and starting on January 1 I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team.
“I want to thank James Vowles and the entire board of Williams for their trust and determination. Their solid leadership and convictions have played an important role in my decision-making.
“I truly believe that…
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