F1 driver transfer: Carlos Sainz Williams announcement officially ends contract saga

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Sainz OFFICIALLY ends contract saga with new team announcement

Carlos Sainz has signed with Williams

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 29 July 2024 17:02 Updated: 15:59

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Ferrari star Carlos Sainz has officially ended months of speculation over his Formula 1 future by signing a contract with a new team.

Sainz has been looking for a seat since being replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025 at Ferrari, and has now joined Williams in a shock deal.

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The Spaniard has signed a long-term contract starting from next season that will take the Grove-based outfit into the new regulations that will sweep into the sport in 2026.

He will partner Alex Albon, who penned a new deal with Williams earlier this season, while the F1 future of Logan Sargeant beyond 2024 is uncertain having been displaced by the Sainz news.

Carlos Sainz will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025

Carlos Sainz has signed for Williams from next season

Sainz joins Williams

Rumours have swirled around Sainz since his departure from Ferrari was announced, with the three-time grand prix winner being linked with Mercedes, Aston Martin, Red Bull and Audi in the past few months.

However, Williams emerged as a surprise contender, with team principal James Vowles suggesting talks were taking place with the 29-year-old.

Questions around Ferrari's decision to replace Sainz instead of Charles Leclerc have been raised at times in 2024, particular after the Spaniard's stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

Despite this, it has now become clear that Sainz will join Williams, as they search for a return to the front of the grid in the seasons to come.

Speaking to Williams' official website, Sainz said: "I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.

"The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.

"I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and starting on January 1, I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team."

BREAKING: Carlos Sainz will join the team for '25, '26 and beyond ?

BIENVENIDO, CARLOS! ?

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— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) July 29, 2024