Carlos Sainz makes his feelings clear about why he chose Williams instead of Red Bull - “I’m not the driver they’re looking for”

Carlos Sainz has revealed he did not sign with Red Bull as he is not the driver the team is looking for. At the same time, Williams Racing provided him with what he believes to be the better opportunity. The Spaniard is set to depart from Ferrari at the end of the season.

As Lewis Hamilton participates in his final races with Mercedes, he is also preparing for his move to Ferrari, where he will be replacing Sainz. The latter was linked with multiple top-performing teams on the grid before deciding to join Williams.

The 30-year-old has proven himself as a competitive driver with his four-season stint at Ferrari. He has remained consistent over the years, giving the team the essential points to remain within the top competition.

His initial talks were reported with Mercedes. However, as Mercedes was waiting on its junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Sainz was reportedly only offered a one-year contract. Next, he was linked with Red Bull. However, a deal did not happen. Reflecting on the same, he has revealed that he might not have been the driver the Milton Keynes-based outfit is looking for.

"Above all, the case of Red Bull. I think that I'm simply not the driver that Red Bull is looking for at the moment, in the team situation that they have, I might not be the profile of the driver that they prefer to have," Carlos Sainz said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo. "And it doesn't bother me at all. I prefer to go to an option like Williams, who have sought me from the beginning and it's a project that motivates me and in which I think I'll have good opportunities in the future."

Sainz will be partnering with Alex Albon on the grid in 2025 at Williams Racing. Although he will no longer be a part of Ferrari, he recently mentioned that it would hurt him if the team were to contend for the drivers' championship with Hamilton.

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Carlos Sainz on Ferrari potentially battling for the WDC in 2025: "It would hurt more"

In Carlos Sainz's time with Ferrari, the team has competed for the WDC once (in 2022). But It was his teammate Charles Leclerc who had more traction initially and battled with Max Verstappen. However, the team ultimately lost its command at the top of the grid as reliability and strategic issues persisted.

2023 marked a subpar campaign for Ferrari. Heading into this season, the team was only third fastest. But the team has gained enough time on competitors to place itself second in the championship.

While Sainz believes Ferrari has a chance to win the constructors' championship this season, it would "hurt" him if the team were to contend for the drivers' championship in 2025.

"I am a driver who loves getting involved in the development stuff, living at Maranello to improve the team," Carlos Sainz told Sky Sports. "When I arrived at Ferrari in 2021 my target was to win a championship. We might do it this year in the constructors."

"It would hurt more if, next year, they are fighting for the drivers’ title. I will feel like I obviously had a bit of an influence in building this team to be a championship-fighting team, [then] to not be here next year. But you turn the page. I can’t wait to be at Williams. It’s just the way things have panned out."

Carlos Sainz and Ferrari are currently chasing McLaren at the top for the constructors' title. The teams are separated by a 36-point gap with three races remaining in the season.