Official: Carlos Sainz to join Williams in 2025 F1 season (but with an exit clause). Williams has officially signed Carlos Sainz.

The rumors that emerged in the Spa paddock have been officially confirmed: Carlos Sainz will be on the starting grid for the 2025 world championship with Williams. The final decision was made in the last ten days, thanks to a concession from the English team that met one of Carlos Sainz’s key requests.

Carlos’s desire to return to a top team was never a secret, and unlike the demands of Alpine and Audi-Sauber (initially also Williams), Carlos Sainz secured a contract for the 2025 Formula 1 season only.

Williams’s announcement speaks of an agreement “for the 2025 season and beyond,” but in reality, the ‘beyond’ is an option in favor of the Spanish driver, allowing him to consider potential offers from top teams for the 2026 championship. “I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards,” commented Carlos Sainz. “It’s no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons, and it took me some time to arrive at my final decision.”

“However, I am fully convinced that Williams is the right place to continue my journey in F1,” Carlos Sainz continued. “I am extremely proud to join a historic and successful team, for which many of my childhood heroes have driven and left their mark on this sport. The ultimate goal is to bring Williams back to where it belongs, which is at the top, and it is a challenge I welcome with enthusiasm. I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again, and starting from January 1, I will give my best alongside every single team member. I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Williams board for their trust.” – the current Ferrari driver added.

“Carlos’s arrival at Williams is a strong statement of intent from both sides,” commented team principal James Vowles. “Carlos has proven time and time again to be one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with a winning pedigree, and this underscores the upward trajectory we are following. Carlos brings not only experience and performance but also a strong determination to extract every millisecond from the team and the car; the combination is perfect. With Alex and Carlos, I believe we will have one of the most competitive driver lineups.”