Carlos Sainz is looking for a new team for the 2025 Formula 1 season after Lewis Hamilton announced he will leave Mercedes to join Ferrari next year.
The Spaniard is the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last year and has been on the radar of several teams.
Mercedes, Sauber, Alpine and Williams were all potential candidates to sign Sainz. On July 29, his future was finally confirmed.
THE Jugo Mobile describes where Sainz will go once he leaves the Scuderia, and who must now look elsewhere.
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Who will Carlos Sainz drive for next season?
On July 29, Williams announced that Sainz had signed a two-year contract with the team. He will drive for the British manufacturer from 2025.
The Spaniard will partner Alexander Albon, who won four championship points in 2024.
“It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for a variety of reasons and it has taken me some time to announce my decision,” said Sainz. “However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my journey in F1 and I am extremely proud to be joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes have driven in the past and left their mark on our sport.”
The move means Logan Sargeant will leave the team after the 2025 season. The Williams Driver Academy graduate earned the team’s first point in 30 years by finishing 10th at Austin in 2023.
“Williams will provide all possible support to Logan as he looks to continue his racing career for 2025 and beyond,” the team said.
Which other teams were linked to Sainz?
Audi/Sauber
Sainz had been tipped to join Sauberwith the team entering the grid as Audi in 2026.
The Spaniard’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr., has close ties to Audi and currently drives for them in the annual Dakar Rally.
Sainz Jr. was seen as an ideal candidate for a new team alongside recent signing Nico Hulkenberg.
Mercedes
It was possible to envisage a direct exchange between Sainz and Hamilton in 2025.
Mercedes will be disappointed to lose a seven-time world champion from their team, but Sainz would have been a very good replacement.
Had he teamed up with 26-year-old George Russell, the Silver Arrows would have had a very handy medium-term duo.
However, Mercedes have been heavily linked with young F2 driver Kimi Antonelli, which now appears to be the most likely route they will take.
Why Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari?
As an iconic racing brand, Ferrari has been searching for a driver to match its illustrious pedigree for some time and has struggled – relatively speaking – on the track in recent years. Ferrari has not had a world champion driver since Kimi Raikkonen won in 2007.
Chairman John Elkann was keen to sign a big name and has long been a fan of Hamilton, according to ESPN. Sainz’s contract talks with Ferrari, which eventually led to him joining Williams, created an opening for Hamilton at Ferrari.
It is unclear what exactly prompted Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes. He and Mercedes have had consecutive disappointing seasons, with his last win coming at the end of 2021.
Hamilton has been linked to Ferrari on several occasions throughout his career, including during his contract negotiations with Mercedes for 2023. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was confident that while Hamilton and Ferrari met, his man would stay at Mercedes.
The appeal of racing for the iconic Ferrari brand, coupled with long-term fears of winning with Mercedes, may have prompted Hamilton to switch teams. While Ferrari, like other racing teams, has struggled to keep up with Red Bull, the chance to win with an iconic brand could strengthen the storied legacy Hamilton has already cultivated within the sport.
