Why Did Carlos Sainz Pick Williams & How Did the Team Win This Lottery?

 “I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey,” said Carlos Sainz, discussing his future with Formula 1’s sleeping giant, Williams. Carlos was the most eligible, unemployed driver on the F1 grid for a couple of months. He had multiple suitors and there were even more rumors about his probable move.

From Red Bull to Aston Martin to even Mercedes, all teams with an empty seat were linked to the Spanish driver. However, the Williams F1 Team won the Bachelor-style competition, marking a new era for the British team with a stellar lineup and management. Why did Sainz pick Williams and how did the team win this lottery?

Why did Carlos Sainz join Williams?

Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, said, “Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties. Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid. […] Carlos brings not just experience and performance, but also a fierce drive to extract every millisecond out of the team and car; the fit is perfect.” But someone who had so many choices at his disposal chose a team that is currently second last on the grid. Why?

There are multiple reasons for this almost strange decision. Firstly, lack of seats in the Big 4. According to reports, Mercedes was a top priority of the Spaniard, but most probably, they wanted to go in the direction of their prodigal son, Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull’s history with Carlos Sainz Senior and Jos Verstappen may have made them look in Sergio Perez’s direction. McLaren had their seats full and Ferrari was the one who axed him.

Secondly, Williams’ usage of Mercedes-powered engines can transform the James Vowels-led team come 2026. With a strong lineup and even stronger intentions, the team can look to replicate its 2014 success.

Thirdly, it is understood that the team has given him the most flexible of offers, which can allow him to join Audi beyond 2026, allowing him to assess the incoming giants’ performance before betting on a debutant. But another question that remains unanswered is how the Grove-based team beat other challengers off track.

How did Williams beat other teams to bag Carlos Sainz?

Carlos Sainz was mostly linked to the newly incoming F1 team Audi due to his father’s long-term association with the team. However, the incoming team is going to take over Sauber, which is currently last in the points tally. The takeover is not bound to change things overnight.

This lack of confidence and sorry performance of the outfit may have been a reason for Carlos Sainz not going to them in the first place. The unstable conditions of the Audi project (sudden ousting of key figures like Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann) combined with the Sauber outfit’s zero-point tally despite having a 10-time race winner in the team is sure to send alarm bells ringing.

With Red Bull doors being closed, the doors to their sister team, VCARB also stood shut, leaving Alpine, Haas, and Williams as the options. Haas picked their engine provider, Ferrari’s prodigal son, Oliver Bearman, and outgoing Alpine driver, Esteban Ocon. This left Alpine and Williams in the mix. Alpine’s rapid downfall, multiple changes in the top management, and accumulation of uncertainty may not look good on their resume.

The Renault-owned outfit that finished fourth in 2022 struggled to score a single point in the initial phase of this season. Though the team is above Williams in the constructors’ championship, the standing needs to be understood in context. Despite the 7-point lead of the French outfit, they recently abandoned their own engine project to join the lost list of Mercedes’ customers.

This signified a promise of Mercedes’ future beyond 2026, a vision Williams’ boss James Vowels already had. The vision of the latter is far more visionary and conditions are considerably stable. This may also have pushed Sainz in their direction.

The historic British team has looked to revive its past glories and the spark of promise first showed when Mercedes’ key figure and director of strategy, James Vowels, joined the team. Last year, Alex Albon put the car in points position on multiple occasions. Though this year might be a setback for the team, promise and a bright future await for them. Williams was Sainz’s best option and Sainz was a dream come true for Williams. In a few months, we will know what this pairing can do.