F1 Rumor: Sainz finally makes F1 team decision for 2025 – reports (Update)

(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. has denied reports that he has now signed with Williams for 2025 – although the Oxfordshire-based team’s boss sounds very confident.

The Ferrari refugee has been the centerpiece of the F1 driver ‘silly season’ this season, as he weighs up offers from Williams, Sauber-Audi and Alpine – whilst hoping for a top team opportunity at Mercedes or Red Bull.

The latter outcome now seems ruled out, while Alpine is in tatters and even self-scrapping its works Formula 1 program. “There are too many problems,” lamented the continuing Alpine driver Pierre Gasly on Sunday.

“The steering wheel wasn’t even straight on the car. We lost 7 tenths every lap with engine temperature problems and there were too many mistakes over the last three weekends.

“It’s going to be very important to pull ourselves together during this summer break,” Gasly told Canal Plus. “We’re going to have to talk together and resolve these problems very quickly.”

Sainz is also believed to be turned off by the management turmoil at Audi, with the German marque’s team Sauber still yet to score a single point in 2024.

Williams, however, is only 4 points ahead of Sauber. “We haven’t had anything new all year,” said the team’s continuing driver Alex Albon. “We’re so far behind the pack.

“Hopefully, we’ll be more competitive after the break.”

Nonetheless, Williams boss James Vowles’ vision for the future – and willingness to give Sainz the top-team exit clauses he desires – seem to have won the 29-year-old over.

His father Carlos Sainz snr and cousin Carlos Onoro Sainz – Sainz’s management team – were spotted leaving a meeting with Vowles at Spa last Friday.

But is it a done deal for 2025?: “No, I’m not with any team yet and I haven’t announced anything,” Sainz told Sky Deutschland after the Belgian GP.

“I’m looking forward to the summer break, having some time for myself and hearing this question again – like every weekend for the last six months,” the Ferrari driver smiled.

Vowles, however, is very confident. “More than 50 percent,” the Williams boss told reporters on Sunday when asked about the likelihood of securing Sainz’s signature.

“I would say the odds are on our side, but I’ve said that once this year, so we’ll see.”

Vowles confirmed that Williams’ major competitor to securing Sainz is Renault-owned Alpine. “Carlos has one of the biggest brands in the world wanting him and that’s hard to turn down, especially as – let’s be honest – they’ve beaten us recently.

“It’s a tough thing to turn down. They won a race not too long ago and I can see the perspective,” he added. “He said to me that when he commits, he has to do it with all his heart and soul, and cannot have any doubts.

“That’s why he’s taking his time and that resonated a lot with me,” said Vowles.

When asked if it’s possible a deal could be announced with a week, he concluded: “In principle, yes.”

But when asked the same question late on Sunday, Sainz answered: “I don’t know, I can’t say.

“It’s time to rest during these holidays – that’s what matters,” he told DAZN.

(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. has finally made his decision about where to race in 2025 and it appears to be Williams.

That’s the claim of two authoritative Formula 1 media sources, after the departing Ferrari driver’s father and co-manager Carlos Sainz senior was seen leaving Williams’ motorhome at Spa-Francorchamps.

Sainz jr, 29, has been a ‘cork in the bottle’ of the driver market for some time, as he held out for a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes whilst fielding enthusiastic offers from midfielders Sauber-Audi, Alpine and Williams.

Sainz’s manager and cousin Carlos Onoro Sainz was also at the meeting with rally legend Sainz senior and Williams boss James Vowles, the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reports from the Belgian GP.

Related Article: F1 News: Williams wants to sign Albon’s teammate in ‘two weeks’

The 3-time grand prix winner said on Friday that he would rather go to a “midfield team” for his “near future” than take a sabbatical, although he wouldn’t say whether he wanted to put pen to paper before the summer break.

“I cannot honestly give you the answer, and I cannot answer that question,” said Sainz Jr. “It’s as simple as that. I don’t know if it’s going to be before or after the summer break.”

That timeline may now have changed, with the German broadcaster Sport1 believing Sainz has now signed a one-year contract with options to extend.

Williams boss James Vowles has reportedly even been able to offer the Spaniard a handsome 10 million euros a year, and a special clause allowing Sainz to jump out of the deal immediately if a top team opportunity arises at any point.

There is even speculation that Vowles and his old boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, have agreed that if Sainz does get an opportunity in silver, Williams will instead be loaned the impressive 17-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli.

The Sainz news is expected to be announced shortly.

It would be bad news for Valtteri Bottas, who had hoped to secure the seat alongside Alex Albon. However, with his current team Sauber-Audi ousting Andreas Seidl, Bottas does now have the opportunity to kick off talks with his new boss, Mattia Binotto.

“It is going to reset the talks a bit, because we have previously been in communication with Andreas and Oliver (Hoffmann), and now it’s Mattia, who will officially start next week, I believe,” said Bottas.

“For sure that will change some things, so we need to speak.”

Also hoping to secure the Audi seat, however, is Mick Schumacher, who would complete an attractive all-German driver lineup for the marque’s new works project.

“For me it is very important to be back in Formula 1,” Schumacher told RTL at Spa. “And now every team in F1 is competitive – maybe not enough to win, but you can still position yourself really well, no matter which team you are with at the moment.”

When asked specifically about Audi, the 25-year-old described it as a “very exciting project” that would be a “very good choice”.