Carlos Sainz’s future after the 2024 season has been uncertain ever since Lewis Hamilton announced that he would be joining Ferrari. Fans had hoped that Sainz would go to a top team such as Mercedes or Red Bull. However, the Spaniard has chosen to drive for Williams Racing who are in 9th in this year’s Constructors’ Championship.
With Red Bull extending Sergio Perez’s contract and Mercedes favouring their junior driver, Kimi Antonelli, Sainz had to look at the midfield for his future. He had received offers from Williams, Audi/Kick Sauber, and Alpine. At least these 3 teams were the only serious contenders to sign Sainz. Out of these options, the Spaniard chose to go to Williams due to their power unit partnership with Mercedes.
Now let’s look at the details of Sainz’s new contract with Williams Racing.
How long is Carlos Sainz’s contract with Williams?
When the move to Williams was announced, it was only announced as a multi-year deal. The exact tenure of the contract was not revealed. This means that Sainz will be driving for William until the end of the 2026 season at the very least.
🚨BREAKING: Carlos Sainz to join Williams in 2025, on a multi-year deal!#F1 pic.twitter.com/tlmWWICxcf
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 29, 2024
However, there could be some exceptions here as well. If the team and driver had agreed for any exit clause, it could allow one of the parties to activate the clause. But more on this below.
What is Carlos Sainz’s salary with Williams Racing?
The details of salary are almost never revealed to the public. However, it is estimated that Sainz is earning around $10 million with Ferrari. He is also expected to earn around the same amount with Williams as well.
Why did Carlos Sainz choose Williams?
With Mercedes and Red Bull out of the running as they are committed or going to commit to other drivers, Sainz’s options remained with Williams, Alpine, and Audi.
With Alpine, the team has been struggling a lot this year. Not just with performance, but also with the management as there have been a lot of changes within the team’s managerial and technical structure in the recent past. This does not look very promising as the team restructures itself.
Very happy to announce I’ll be joining @WilliamsRacing next season! Excited about the project and the challenges ahead of us! 💪🏻
Muy contento de poder anunciar que el año que viene me uniré a @WilliamsRacing! Entusiasmado con el proyecto y con los retos que tendremos por… pic.twitter.com/oUg5IexunR
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 29, 2024
Kick Sauber is yet to score a point in F1. Even when Audi completely takes over in 2026, the team will not be able to perform well as Audi is still new to the sport and it will take a while for them to develop the car.
Williams on the other hand has been making some positive changes in their team in the last couple of years. Ever since James Vowles was appointed as the team principal for Williams, he has developed a proper managerial and technical structure for the team. Now that they are heading in the right direction, they will need to drivers who can both bring in good results.
Was Carlos Sainz Williams’ preferred choice?
Yes, James Vowles had openly mentioned that Sainz is the #1 choice for Williams.
The team has one promising driver, Alex Albon. Their second driver has somewhat never worked out. They had Nicholas Latifi who was not meeting the team’s expectations. The same can be said for Logan Sargeant who is driving the 2nd Williams car this year.
🗣️ ‘He’s hungry for performance. He wants to be a part of this journey.’
Hear from James on signing Carlos ✍️
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) July 29, 2024
But now with the combination of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, Williams can be considered a team with one of the strongest driver pairings in F1.
One other aspect of Sainz that interested Williams is his track record. Over the years, we saw Sainz drive for McLaren and Ferrari. After Sainz joined both of these teams, they have improved their pace. This indicates how valuable Carlos’ feedback on the car is. If he can do the same with Williams, we could see the team on the podium as soon as 2026 when the new regulations kick in.
