Carlos Sainz in discussions to sign for 9-time F1 champions - Reports

Carlos Sainz is reportedly in talks with Williams Racing for the 2025 season, as his final season with Ferrari progresses. This comes as a shock given that he was earlier in contact with major teams competing at the top.

The Spaniard will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025 as his Ferrari contract expires. This has triggered him to look for a team for the future. While many speculations arose surrounding his future with a team, Sainz mentioned that he is not rushing into the decision.

Sauber was a contender, who allegedly wanted to keep him on a long contract that would see him race with the Audi team in 2026. However, while the team needed a quick response, he was waiting for a deal with Mercedes who reportedly wanted to keep him on a short contract while they observed their junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, Carlos Sainz wanted to sign for a longer contract.

Amid the speculation, it was recently reported by Autosport that Williams has emerged as one of the top choices for the 29-year-old driver, who is in talks with them. Although the team is currently not in very competitive shape, which makes it a shocking choice for him, team principal James Vowles is focusing on making the team more competitive than their current form.

Williams recently extended Alex Albon's contract for multiple years and having another experienced driver would be an added advantage. Moreover, Sainz has proven to be very competitive recently.

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F1 journalist reports Carlos Sainz is off of Mercedes' list

While Sainz might have been waiting on Mercedes to finalize a contract with him based on his agreements, Sky Sports' Craig Slater reported that he is no longer a choice for Mercedes and the team might be waiting for 2024 championship leader Max Verstappen to join them or sign their junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is referred to as a prodigy given his success in the junior racing series'.

This could now be a tough choice for Carlos Sainz. Earlier, it was reported that Audi was the only possible choice for him in the future, and with Mercedes' gates closing on him, there are not enough top teams left to sign him.

Red Bull Racing was also said to be in talks with the driver, however, recent reports suggest that they have offered Sergio Perez another season's extension after 2024. It was also mentioned that he has not agreed to it yet because he wants at least a two-year contract.

While the confirmations on these still await, Carlos Sainz is running short of time to choose a seat for his upcoming season. He has raced with Ferrari since 2021 and won three races so far.