After the announcement that Carlos Sainz would not be continuing with Ferrari after the 2024 season, the #55 driver was on a mission to secure a top seat for the 2025 season and beyond. In fact, the 30-year-old’s performances on track made him a much sought-after commodity in the paddock.
Many teams were touted to be in the fold but the Madrid-born driver decided to take his own time before committing to a team. While in conversation with SoyMotor, Sainz revealed how this entire situation made the 2024 season one of the toughest times for him to endure.
“[Those were] very tough six months, having to be performing on the track at the same time as trying to decide my future with teams that were in the middle of the grid and back,” he explained about his conversations with the likes of Alpine, Williams, and Sauber.
BREAKING: Carlos Sainz to join Williams Racing from 2025#F1 pic.twitter.com/3O3ROhrEES
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2024
In the end, however, the 30-year-old took all things into consideration to put his faith in the project led by James Vowles.
“What I can say is that the decision [to sign for Williams] was made very late, very close to the day of the announcement,” he revealed.
Sainz’s decision to pick Williams over the others was triggered by his experiences with McLaren. During his time with the Woking-based team between 2019 and 2020, he saw the team develop and transition into a team that finally won the Constructors’ championship in 2024.
And Vowles’ vision for the iconic Grove-based team aligns with that of Sainz. The #55 driver himself is sure that he can steer Williams’ fortunes towards race wins and titles and is willing to wait for this to happen.
Will Sainz lose his patience before Williams turns competitive?
No matter how strong Williams comes out of the blocks this season, the path to becoming a title contender will be a long one. Naturally, Sainz is aware that the project at the Grove-based team is a long-term adventure.
But is the Madrid-born driver willing to wait that long? According to Alpine F1 advisor, Flavio Briatore, the Spanish racing ace will use Williams as a stop-gap arrangement before moving onto a front-running team in 2026.
“I spoke with Sainz. It makes no sense to take a driver like Carlos for one or two years. Either he believes in our program, or he doesn’t.”
“I don’t need a driver who costs me a lot of money and is looking to join another team as soon as the opportunity arises,” he said when revealing why Sainz’s talks broke down with the French team.
If that is the case, it could turn out to be disastrous for Williams. They have invested considerably to secure the 30-year-old. And Renault is an example of how badly it can turn out when a top-earning driver leaves the team during a resurgent period — when Daniel Ricciardo left them at the end of 2020.
