F1 Insider claims: Sainz has signed with Williams – has exit clause for opportunity to switch to Mercedes or Red Bull before 2025

IMO there are too many rumors regarding his future to care about them. Obviously he's talking to multiple teams, but few know what's really going on. Wake me up when the actual announcement happens.

F1-Insider.com has exclusively learnt that Carlos Sainz has decided to switch to Williams. According to information from F1-Insider.com, the guesswork surrounding Carlos Sainz has come to an end. The Spaniard has now decided where he will sign a contract for 2025.

The team of his choice is Williams. Sainz signs a one-year contract with the traditional British team with options for an extension. Background: The team from Grove is the only team that fulfils all of the Spaniard's wishes when he has to vacate his Ferrari cockpit for Lewis Hamilton at the end of this season.

In addition to a handsome salary of around ten million euros, this includes the powerful Mercedes engine. Above all, however, his contract is said to contain a clause that allows him not to take up his job at Williams in the first place or to resign should the opportunity arise to switch to Mercedes or Red Bull in 2025.

This could happen, for example, if Mercedes still hesitates to put young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the second Silver Arrow alongside George Russell. In this case, there is even speculation about an agreement between Williams team boss James Vowles and Toto Wolff, according to which Antonelli could then celebrate his Formula 1 debut at Williams while Sainz drives the Silver Arrow.

However, this is still up in the air. Firstly, the deal between Sainz and Williams is expected to be announced soon. However, the Spaniard was still unable to answer the question about his future on Thursday: "I don't know," he said then. "It's as simple as that. I don't know if it will be before or after the summer break. I don't know."

It's all happening very quickly now. Fittingly: Sainz's father Carlos Sainz Senior and his manager Carlos Onoro Sainz were spotted at a meeting with team boss James Vowles at the Williams Motorhome on Friday. The Briton has never made a secret of the fact that he would like to sign Sainz Junior alongside Alexander Albon as a replacement for US boy Logan Sargeant.

Update: Williams principal James Vowles has now refuted this article, saying that he won't give a driver the freedom to sign at Williams with a special "top team" clause.

Vowles also said that he is not interested in Antonelli. Sainz remains his top priority and he thinks the possibility is "more than 50%" that Sainz will sit in a Williams next season.

Edit: Sainz signed with Williams. Truly silly season. So Antonelli announcement for Mercedes soon?

I doubt that Sainz has a clause for Red Bull. This option is unlikely, as it's tied to two scenarios:

1. Red Bull needs to kick out Perez, ideally during the summer break.
2. The replacement for Perez, probably Ricciardo, needs to underperform significantly in this interim role.

It's clear that neither Lawson nor Tsunoda will get a shot for the second Red Bull seat. If they only decide to kick out Perez after this season, Sainz may have a chance at Red Bull, but so does Horners favorite Ricciardo.

Until then, Sainz will likely sign with Alpine or get the Mercedes seat, as Antonelli has publicly stated that he still needs some time to develop, which means either he takes a stint in the Williams seat or another year in F2.