Carlos Sainz 'visits' rival F1 team as new 2025 grid spot comes to light

Carlos Sainz and Checo Perez — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Sainz 'visits' rival F1 team as new 2025 grid spot comes to light

Carlos Sainz visited F1 team this winter as rumours continue to swirl

Shay Rogers

Friday 9 February 2024 13:57 Updated: 15:15

Carlos Sainz ‘has visited’ a rival Formula 1 team as speculation over the Ferrari drivers’ future continues to ramp up.

A recent deal between Lewis Hamilton and the Scuderia means that Sainz is currently without a race seat beyond 2024.

There are plenty of options for next year, but one that he appears interested in is Williams, with the Spaniard having ‘visited’ the team at the end of last season according to the BBC.

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The upwards trajectory of the team over the last year may make any opening under James Vowles more encouraging, with the project trending in a positive direction.

Carlos Sainz enters his fourth season with Ferrari in 2024

Lewis Hamilton replaces Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for 2025

Williams project on the up

Williams climbed three places in constructors’ championship ranking last season compared with 2022, and they are slowly catching up to the big teams from an infrastructure standpoint.

A youthful leadership and ambitious project could make it an attractive opening for Sainz, who will be seeking long-term stability for his career going forward.

Alternatively, he could aim to reunite with former employer Red Bull, with Sergio Perez set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Having raced alongside Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso in 2015, and through the first four races of 2016, he knows what it would take to beat the Dutchman.

Rather uniquely, he has time to make a decision, with the whole season to play out before he is forced to make a decision on his Formula 1 future.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Carlos Sainz Williams James Vowles