Carlos Sainz has made his decision for 2025, an imminent announcement from Williams

The transfer market continues to stir, and the Spa-Francorchamps weekend was no exception. In addition to Bruno Famin’s departure from Alpine, another announcement will be made soon: Spaniard Carlos Sainz will join the Williams team for the 2025 season.

Discussions that have intensified this weekend

First of all, several cameras captured images of Carlos Sainz’s father, the double rally world champion Carlos Sainz Senior, as well as the agent and uncle of the Formula 1 driver leaving Grove’s team motorhome this weekend. Discussions took place with the team boss, James Vowles, fueling rumors of the Spaniard’s imminent arrival at Williams. Vowles had indeed stated on Friday: « The odds are in our favor regarding Carlos’ signature. »

« I think I have already said it, I want it before the summer holidays, yes. And I think there’s a line in the sand that I drew. I hope we will stay within it, » he added, hoping to announce his two drivers for 2025 before the summer break, which has now been done.

Contract Details

This Sunday, several rumors in the paddock revealed Carlos Sainz’s new contract: 10 million euros per year, 1 million less than what he currently earns at Ferrari. The contract is for one year, with the prospect of joining a top team during the new regulations of 2026, a condition demanded by Sainz to join a new team. Rumors in Spa even mention an agreement with Toto Wolff, who could lend his young prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli to Williams, thus facilitating Sainz’s arrival at Mercedes in 2026.

This choice, although risky given Williams’ current performances, demonstrates the persistent attractiveness of this historic team. This influence is largely due to James Vowles, formerly of Mercedes, who has restored stability and direction to a team in difficulty since the departure of its founder Frank Williams.

Vowles also analyzes the advantages of Williams compared to other teams: « Mattia Binotto is arriving at Audi, and he’s a very sensible guy. Audi will invest what it takes to succeed, but I don’t know if this change is good or bad. With Alpine, they will suffer a bit but also have some success. Carlos is assessing his long-term options. »

Vowles therefore believes that the Williams project offers more guarantees than those of Alpine and Audi, which have just shaken up their organization chart, which also guided the choice of Carlos Sainz, who was mainly looking to join a stable team to then lead it to the top.

Carlos Sainz declared over the weekend: “I am happy in Formula 1, […] I would prefer to join a midfield team and use my skills, at the peak of my career, to help a team progress, rather than taking a sabbatical year or being the third driver for anyone,” thereby paving the way for Williams to recruit him.

A transfer that calls for others?

With this announcement, Williams is getting an excellent acquisition with an experienced driver capable of maximizing results. However, this transfer disrupts the plans of some drivers, such as Valtteri Bottas, who hoped to return to his former team. The Audi project therefore seems to be his last chance to stay in Formula 1. For others, like Mick Schumacher or the reserve drivers at Alpine, it is an opportunity to find a seat for next year.

The musical chairs game will now accelerate, promising a very intense summer break.