Carlos Sainz joins Williams

Carlos Sainz and Williams will join forces from next season. Spanish driver, 29 years old (30 in September)joins the third-best team of all time for two years (2025 and 2026) with an option to extend and discards Audi (which is taking part in 2026 instead of the current stake), which was another excellent candidate to sign the Madrid native, as well as Alpinewho tried at the last minute to get into the 55th under the wing of Flavio Briatore, but it was not enough.

It is in Spa, Sainz Sr. was seen leaving to finish the conversation on Friday. with the English team, and after that the team leader said he saw options for him to get 50%, a sign that everything is tied up. Carlos will compete alongside Alex Albon in an attempt to get back to the front. He will continue to wear the number 55 and will replace American Logan Sargeant.

Carlos initially received an offer from the Germans based in Switzerland, but eventually chose short-term results over an uncertain long-term project. Williams, with a Mercedes engine and under the guidance of James Vowles, a former Mercedes employee, He made it clear he would be a headliner for Grove’s team and categorically described his signing as “a privilege for our team.”

Carlos is interested in a project with a Mercedes engine for 2026 and with the recent hiring of technical specialists, to get out of the bottom of the table, which they are achieving on some specific tracks this year with Elbon. With Carlos in their ranks, the size of the blue team could increase significantly from 2025 and, above all, within two years, given the new technical regulations.

Sainz saw the current Grove, far from the old factory, but much more respectable. which would allow him to have a recognizable car in 2025, today in the “top ten” in many races, fighting for points, although in Montmeló he was close to the last positions and in specific races does not shine.

He has already hinted at this in several conversations with Spanish journalists.“I’ve spoken to a thousand engineers and 2026 is a lottery… but be careful, 2025 is worth the same,” he said, referring to the results he will get with Williams. not with the current stake, which will be Audi in 2026. Sainz Sr. spoke at length in Montmelo with Williams’ penultimate champion Damon Hill, who apparently filled him in and gave him first-hand knowledge of how the team is doing.

Then it costs them more in parts, parts, etc. It’s not the same muscle as the big one. This year, for example, Williams’ development plan was disrupted after a series of accidents at the beginning of the year. As a result, they were only able to bring enough parts for one car, with Alex Albon once again becoming the priority. Not forgetting that they had to run the car at the beginning of the year, since they had neither parts in the accidents nor time.