The most intense Silly Season in recent years still left the unknown of the future of Carlos Sainz who is having an excellent season after his departure from Ferrari was announced and the arrival of Lewis Hamilton. Sainz will leave the Maranello team at the end of this season, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton set to take his place. And the only thing confirmed today is the definitive slamming of the door by Mercedes.
The German team has definitively chosen by Kimi Antonelli and not Carlos Sainz and Toto Wolff himself has been in charge of confirming it with a forceful message: “we intend to focus on young drivers and we told Carlos Sainz. We only want to focus on Kimi because we dedicate our future to young drivers,” he sentenced.
Apparently, Mercedes would have offered a contract of only one year to Carlos Sainz. The strategy was to permanently incorporate Kimi Antonelli in 2026 with the change in regulations in Formula 1, while the Italian gained experience next season at Williams. An option that was rejected by the Spaniard who wants a multi-year contract.
Sainz's options
With these statements and the recent renewal of Checo Pérez by Red Bull, the options for Carlos, who would have already signed his new contract pending an official announcement, areand they reduce to Sauber Audi or Williams.
In fact, although the driver has taken the rumors as a joke, from England they assure that the Madrid native already has everything tied up. His season is magnificent, he has achieved 3 podiums and 1 victory in 2024 with the “Prancing Horse” in the 'Gran Circo' and although he has had offers from several teams – he was tested by Read Bull, Mercedes and Audi – his future seems be clear.
According to information provided by the expert in the world of Formula 1, Joe Saward, Carlos Sainz will be the new Williams driver seeking to gain prestige in F-1.
Specifically, Saward claims that Williams would have offered the Madrid driver a two-year contract with the option to renew it beyond 2026. Even that the announcement would take place at the Spanish Grand Prix, the weekend of June 21 to 23 at the Autódromo de Catalunya, in Montmeló.
“My priority is to want to stay in F1but also allow me to find a medium and long-term project in which I feel valued, in which I feel listened to, in which I feel that I can commit to the medium or long term and that it will be useful for my career,” the Madrid native said weeks ago.
If it is confirmed that he will be Alex Albon's future partner, he would leave aside the possibility of racing for Audi, which will enter as a motorcyclist in 2026 and has partnered with Sauber.
In this way, the driver who knew how to dominate the Australian GP and achieved third place in Bahrain, Japan and Monaco, begins to define his new 'home'.