F1: Where will Carlos Sainz go next season?

• Carlos Sainz is still without a seat for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign following the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Ferrari.
• We look at the several options Carlos Sainz has for next year.

Carlos Sainz is still without a seat for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign following the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari for the 2025 season.

Given that he is the only driver not affiliated with Red Bull to have won a race in the last two seasons, the Spaniard is undoubtedly on the radar of several teams.

Potential teams that may recruit Sainz include Red Bull, Mercedes, Sauber, Alpine, Williams, and Haas, since they all have free spots for 2025.

We look at the several options Carlos Sainz has for next year.

Red Bull

Redbull teamates Max and Sergio.|PHOTO: F1|

Red Bull may choose to part ways with Sergio Perez, which may lead to Sainz and Verstappen getting back together.

From 2015 to 2016, the two were colleagues at Toro Rosso, a junior team.

The atmosphere at Red Bull is intense, but the same is true at Ferrari.

With the current constructors’ champions, Sainz may have a lot of success if he’s willing to be Verstappen’s “second driver.”

Audi/Sauber

Sainz is rumoured to be joining Sauber, and in 2026 the team will race as Audi.

Carlos Sainz Sr., the Spaniard’s father, is a current driver for Audi in the yearly Dakar Rally and has close ties to the company.

Given that Sainz would be a great fit at a new club with recent addition Nico Hulkenberg, Audi will probably put a lot of effort into signing him.

Having worked together for two years at McLaren, Sainz is well acquainted with their CEO, Andreas Seidl. Additionally, Carlos Sainz Sr., who raced for Audi for the last three years in the Dakar Rally, has strong ties to the incoming Audi team and will be aware of how formidable an organization they are in the motorsports industry.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin unvieling their car earlier this year. Photo//Autoblog

Another excellent choice is an Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso is 42 years old, and if billionaire Lawrence Stroll wants to keep the team moving ahead favorably for the foreseeable future, he will need to find a strong, reliable, and seasoned driver who can lead a team over the long haul.

Sainz would be a good choice.

Mercedes

Is it possible that Sainz and Hamilton will be directly swapped?

Though Sainz would be a formidable substitute, Mercedes would be sad to lose a seven-time world champion from their squad.

Not only is Sainz 10 years younger than Hamilton, but he has also won a race more recently.

The Silver Arrows would have a very useful medium-term tandem if he teamed up with George Russell, who is 26 years old.

It would make perfect sense for Mercedes and Sainz to work together. They will receive a race-winning driver that is extremely strong with feedback, relentlessly consistent, and gets along well with every member of his crew. Sainz would receive a car that would enable him to stay competitive, as well as an organization with top-notch resources and the financial strength to compete at the forefront.

Mercedes, however, has a close relationship with F2 rookie Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes needs to figure out a strategy for its young driver, Kimi Antonelli. Would they sign him into Williams the next year and then Mercedes the year after if he performs well?

If that’s the case, their ticket would only be available for a year, which Sainz will find unacceptable. Is Antonelli going to be brought in for 2027 or 2028, so that he may get additional experience in Formula Two or at a different team, like as Williams, before being promoted to Mercedes? For two or three years, it would imply they would need a teammate for George Russell, which would make the idea far more interesting to Sainz and others.

If one had to leave to make room for Antonelli, you would have thought Sainz would have backed himself to defeat Russell and force manager Toto Wolff to think about keeping the Spaniard instead of the Briton.

Williams

Carlos Sainz could join Williams as a driver for 2025 season. Photo/ F1

Williams are thought to be major Sainz fans. They present the Spaniard with an opportunity to board a train that is gaining significant velocity and has excellent resources in the future.

Naturally, there is a risk involved, but there may also be rewards.