After months of speculation, Carlos Sainz finally made a decision about his F1 future, opting to sign with Williams on a multiyear deal, the team announced Monday.
Sainz, who will be forced to depart Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, has been the signature piece of this year's driver's market, receiving ample interest from a number of teams. Sauber (which will become Audi in '26) and Alpine were among the other primary suitors, but the 29-year-old ultimately chose the Grove outfit for his next F1 home.
Sainz will join Alex Albon to round out the Williams lineup for next season, but will remain under contract in 2026 with options to extend the deal further. American Logan Sargeant will depart the team at the end of the '24 campaign.
"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," Sainz said in a team release. "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
Sainz has had a fairly successful 2024 season with Ferrari, highlighted by a victory at the Australian Grand Prix earlier in the year. He currently sits fifth in the drivers' standings going into the summer break with 162 points, 15 points behind his current teammate Charles Leclerc.
On the other hand, Williams has struggled to score points during a top-heavy season in F1. The team is ninth in the constructors' standings with just four points, all of which have been scored by Albon.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carlos Sainz Announces Move to Williams on Multiyear Deal.
