Lewis Hamilton’s unprecedented departure from Mercedes triggered a massive wave of swift moments in the drivers market, leaving three-time race winner Carlos Sainz without a seat for the 2025 season. With Lewis signed by Ferrari on a multi-year contract, Sainz was left to fend for his future beyond the 2024 season.
That being said, Carlos Sainz took unusually long to decide on his future, precisely, 6 months. However, a day into the four-week long summer break, the Spanish driver finally announced his future destination which might open a door for him to switch to Mercedes in the future if a seat becomes available.
Carlos Sainz Signs With Williams; But There’s A Catch!
During the early hours of Monday, Ferrari’s outgoing driver and three-time race winner Carlos Sainz formally announced through his social media that he will be driving for Williams Racing from the 2025 season onwards. He will replace Logan Sargeant and team up with Alex Albon for a minimum of three years. Notably, while Williams seemed a visible demotion for the Ferrari driver, the Spaniard had, in fact, run out of options. Williams was the best backmarker team compared to his other two options, Audi and Alpine. However, Sainz wouldn’t trade his future for nothing, and if rumours are to be believed, he indeed left a door open to climb back to the top of the grid with a special exit clause.
As per Motorsport Total, Carlos Sainz’s latest deal with Williams Racing includes an exit clause that allows him to opt out in case a top-tier opportunity opens up at either Mercedes or Red Bull. However, Williams team principal and Mercedes ex-technical chief James Vowles dismissed the exit clause speculations. “No, there was only a handful of people in the world that know what we’re talking about,” Vowles said. Interestingly, Sainz had reached an agreement with Mercedes before the negotiations stalled over the length of the deal. Toto Wolff clearly wanted to experiment with Kimi Antonelli from 2026 onwards, and Sainz refused to settle on a one-year contract. As far as Red Bull is concerned, the Spaniard never stood a chance due to his past differences and tensions with Max Verstappen in Torro Rosso days. Hence, momentarily, Williams proved to be the best option for Sainz.
Mercedes Shortlist Two Names For Lewis Hamilton Replacement
With Carlos Sainz going off the market, Mercedes is left with no significant option to fill the second seat for the 2025 season. Amid waves of speculations, team principal Toto Wolff laid down his best two choices. The first and most obvious is teenage sensation, Kimi Antonelli. However, Wolff recognizes the challenges of experimenting with an F2 rookie.
On the other hand, Toto Wolff has placed his bet on a far fetched dream to land Red Bull star and three-time world champion Max Verstappen. However, as mentioned earlier, the dream is far fetched as Verstappen’s loyalty lies with Red Bull. Hence, momentarily, Wolff will likely require additional time to come to a conclusion on a potential best fit.
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