Carlos Sainz mentioned an “exceptionally advanced” System One driver market delayed his resolution to signal a two-year cope with Williams from subsequent season. The Spaniard will depart Ferrari on the finish of 2024 after the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was introduced as his alternative earlier within the yr.
Sainz has received three F1 races in his profession so far, the most recent of which got here at the Australian Grand Prix in March. For the primary time in F1 historical past, the 2024 season noticed all groups on the grid persist with the identical driver lineup from the yr earlier than however there’s way more upheaval forward of 2025.
Having beforehand pushed for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren, Sainz had been linked with numerous seats for the 2025 season together with Alpine, Sauber and Mercedes. Nevertheless, his rapid future was selected Monday when it was confirmed he has agreed an preliminary two-year cope with Williams.
“I’m very blissful to announce that I might be becoming a member of Williams Racing from 2025 onwards,” the 29-year-old mentioned. “It’s no secret that this yr’s driver market has been exceptionally advanced for numerous causes and that it has taken me a while to announce my resolution.
“Nevertheless, I’m totally assured that Williams is the suitable place for me to proceed my F1 journey and I’m extraordinarily happy with becoming a member of such a historic and profitable group, the place a lot of my childhood heroes drove up to now and made their mark on our sport.
“The final word aim of bringing Williams again to the place it belongs, on the entrance of the grid, is a problem that I embrace with pleasure and positivity. I’m satisfied that this group has all the suitable elements to make historical past once more and beginning on 1 January I’ll give my best possible to drive Williams ahead alongside each single member of the group.”
Sainz will change Logan Sargeant at Williams, the place he’ll companion Alex Albon. Williams have struggled in current seasons and final took a podium end in 2021, with their final win coming courtesy of Pastor Maldonado’s shock victory on the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix.
“Carlos becoming a member of Williams is a powerful assertion of intent from each events,” mentioned the Williams group principal, James Vowles. “Carlos has demonstrated repeatedly that he is without doubt one of the most gifted drivers on the grid, with race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upwards trajectory we’re on.
“Carlos brings not simply expertise and efficiency, but additionally a fierce drive to extract each millisecond out of the group and automotive; the match is ideal. In Alex and Carlos we could have some of the formidable driver lineups on the grid and with enormous expertise to information us into the brand new rules in 2026.”
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