After weeks of speculation, Carlos Sainz has committed his future to Williams, inking a two-year contract with the team ‘with options to extend’.

The 29-year-old, who clinched his third F1 win in Melbourne earlier this year, just a fortnight after undergoing surgery for appendicitis, found himself in a tight spot when Ferrari decided to replace him with Lewis Hamilton for 2025.

With Mercedes poised to promote F2 prodigy Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull extending Sergio Perez's contract, Sainz had to choose between Williams and Sauber/Audi, with Alpine reportedly entering the fray more recently.

Alpine’s allure lay in their potential move to purchase powertrains from Mercedes, potentially ditching their in-house engine program. Considering Mercedes’ past success with hybrid engines, this was a tempting proposition. However, with no firm plans in place, Sainz opted for the certainty of Williams, who will definitely use Merc engines in 2026, as opposed to Audi’s somewhat shaky F1 project.

“I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards,” Sainz stated. “This year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons, and it has taken me some time to announce my decision. However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey. I am extremely proud to join such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes made their mark on our sport.

“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. 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."

Williams team principal James Vowles has been vocal about his desire to secure Sainz for months, emphasizing that the Spaniard was his top choice leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix. Finally, he's got his man.

“Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties,” said Vowles. “Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with a race-winning pedigree. This underlines the upward trajectory we are on. Carlos brings not just experience and performance, but also a fierce drive to extract every millisecond out of the team and car; the fit is perfect.

With Alex Albon locked into the other seat, Logan Sargeant now finds himself without a drive for 2025, effectively ending his F1 career. Vowles thanked the 23-year-old “for everything he has done for the team,” which he joined as a rookie last season.

“In Alex and Carlos, we will have one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid, with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026,” Vowles added. “Their belief in this organization’s mission demonstrates the magnitude of the work going on behind the scenes. People should be in no doubt about our ambition and momentum as we continue our journey back to competitiveness – we are here, we are serious, and with Dorilton’s backing, we are investing in what it takes to return to the front of the grid.”