RacingNews365's verdict on Sainz to Williams

Carlos Sainz's move to Williams is now confirmed - the Spaniard will link up with the former world champions following his exit from Ferrari later this year.

Has the 29-year-old made the right choice? Or was there a better route he could have made?

A couple of our F1 writers here at RacingNews365 have weighed in on the situation! Let us know your opinion in the comments below! 

Fergal Walsh - A gamble unlikely to pay off

In an ideal world from Sainz’s perspective, the Spaniard would not have gone anywhere at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old, in arguably the peak of his F1 career, entered the year with a seat at the lucrative Ferrari squad, which undoubtedly has made steps forward of late (its recent slump aside).

However, the prospect of signing Lewis Hamilton was too great for Ferrari to ignore and it came at the expense of Sainz who was forced to look for a new home.

Sainz took his time with the decision and ultimately settled on Williams, one of F1’s most historic and successful teams.

However, the Grove-based squad has been starved of fortune of late and has been stuck towards the back of the field for several years. James Vowles has been tasked with resurging the squad back to the front, but even he has outlined it will take several years to do so.

Sainz had multiple options available to him, including the prospect of becoming a works Audi driver when the German manufacturer joins F1 in 2026. It makes you wonder what is going on behind the scenes, with Sainz opting to decline the opportunity shortly after a major leadership change was confirmed.

Sainz has previously outlined that this contract will likely be the most important he ever signs in F1, and he will be placing his bets on the once-unrivalled competitor to make a long-awaited comeback.

Achieving those desired gains that lift a competitor to the front of the grid is such a difficult task, and while Williams will give Sainz long-term security in F1, it remains doubtful it will translate into on-track success.

But the truth is that the same can be said for any of Sainz’s options, as with the 2026 regulations edging ever closer, it presents an opportunity for the grid to be mixed up.

Williams will certainly not be a favourite to skip several spaces in the pecking order in 18 months’ time, as it is not best equipped to do so - but the signing of Sainz marks a net positive for the Grove-based team. 

He is undoubtedly a sizeable upgrade on its current line-up and will play his part in helping the team's recovery. But Williams face a significant hill to climb to give the Spaniard what he ultimately desires - a championship-winning F1 car.

Article continues below the poll.

Samuel Coop - The best viable option

First things first, this is absolutely the best-case scenario for Williams. There is no doubt about that. Where the interest lies, is whether it is best for Sainz.

The seat saga reached a critical mass some time ago where he was sort of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't', when it came to his next move.

Through it all, the Spaniard was clear on two things: he wanted the security of a long-term home, and if possible, he wanted it to be top seat.

As much as we all loved the prospect of him slotting in alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, the Milton Keynes outfit was never going to upset the already sensitive apple cart.

Sainz would have been an excellent choice as a replacement for the Dutchman, but never as a team-mate for him - and the constructors' champions are going to hold on to Verstappen for as long as possible.

Therefore, Mercedes was the only viable top seat option, and the German marque would not commit long term to Sainz with Andrea Kimi Antonelli waiting in the wings - not to mention its own aspirations of landing Verstappen.

So, that left the three-time grand prix winner with essentially a choice of three marriages of convenience: Stake/Audi, Alpine and Williams.

Stake/former Sauber entry/Audi (delete as appropriate) had long been considered the front-runner for Sainz's signature.

However, he was clearly unconvinced by what was on offer, as there was always the risk it would take the team to get up to speed and Sainz himself had been quite clear how important he felt his next move in F1 was.

Audi bringing in Mattia Binotto at the expense of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann appears to have been a last-ditch effort to convince the Spaniard, given the Italian was the man who brought Sainz to Ferrari.

But that appears to have backfired, with it highlighting the early dysfunction in a project that is still some 18 months from launch.

In a similar vein, whilst Alpine has the resources and the best recent track record, it is having a poor season and it is also plagued by internal transition.

Together, Alpine and Audi provided two options that lacked stability - and therefore, one can assume, security.

That was Williams' key advantage. Vowles will not shy away from the operational deficiencies he is trying to correct, nor will he dismiss the difficulties the team has faced of late, but he is a leader who quite clearly believes in the trajectory of the project he is spearheading - and that is attractive.

Now, it is worth highlighting that just because it is a marriage of convenience for Sainz, it does not mean it cannot be a happy one for him.

If all that is rumoured about the Mercedes power unit for 2026 turns out to be true, Williams will be well-positioned to move through the pack.

And, if things do not work out as hoped, the deal is only a two-year agreement, so Sainz will be able to see what is available for 2027 - when we should all have a better grasp on what the new pecking order is.