Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Signs With Williams

The Williams Formula 1 team has just announced the signing of Carlos Sainz Jr., finally ending free agency for the biggest name left without a ride in Formula 1. By signing with Williams, Sainz has officially pushed American driver Logan Sargeant out of his current F1 seat.

Williams announced the news on Monday, issuing a statement reading that it "welcomes Carlos Sainz for 2025, 2026 and beyond."

Sainz, a winner of three races with Ferrari and already a winner in the 2024 season, joins a Williams team that has just one win since Juan Pablo Montoya left the team at the end of the 2004 season. Williams currently sits ninth in the constructor's standings with four points.

2025 will be the third season for Williams under team principal James Vowles, a former Mercedes executive brought in to turn the program back into a race winner. Vowles has lofty goals for the team, but the team has taken a step back since scoring 28 points in the 2023 season. Part of the problem has been production from the team's second drivers, a role filled by both Nicholas Latifi or Logan Sargeant over the past five seasons. The two have combined to score 10 total points at Williams — less than a third of the 35 points that lead driver Alex Albon has scored since joining the team ahead of the 2022 season.

Albon now pairs with a race-winner in Sainz, giving Williams a formidable lineup with two proven graduates from the Red Bull junior driver system. By employing a pair proven drivers with extensive experience at other teams, Williams is now getting both reliable on-track performance and strong car development feedback from each of its entries. For a team 27 years removed from its last championship, that kind of experience is invaluable.

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