Carlos Sainz has been looking for a new team for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign after it was announced Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari next year.
The Spaniard is the only non-Red Bull driver to have won a race last year and has been on several teams' radars.
Mercedes, Sauber, Alpine and Williams were all potential candidates to sign Sainz. On July 29, his future was finally confirmed.
The Sporting News outlines where Sainz will be going once he departs the Scuderia, and who must now look elsewhere.
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Who will Carlos Sainz drive for next season?
On July 29, Williams announced that Sainz had signed a two-year contract with the team. He will start driving for the British constructor from 2025.
The Spaniard will partner Alexander Albon, who has won four championship points in 2024.
"It is no secret that this year's driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision," said Sainz. "However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport."
The decision means Logan Sargeant will leave the team after the 2025 season. The Williams Driver Academy graduate won the team's first point for 30 years when he finished 10th in Austin in 2023.
"Williams will give Logan every support as he looks to continue his racing career for 2025 and beyond," the team said.
Which other teams were linked with Sainz?
Audi/Sauber
Sainz had been tipped to join Sauber, with the team to enter the grid as Audi in 2026.
The Spaniard's father — Carlos Sainz Sr. — has strong links with Audi and currently drives for them in the annual Dakar Rally.
Sainz Jr. had been seen as an ideal fit at a new team alongside recent recruit Nico Hulkenberg.
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Mercedes
It was possible to conceive of a straight swap between Sainz and Hamilton in 2025.
Mercedes will be disappointed to lose a seven-time world champion from their team, but Sainz would have been a very strong replacement.
If he had linked up with 26-year-old George Russell, the Silver Arrows would have had themselves a very handy medium-term duo.
However, Mercedes have been linked strongly with F2 young gun Kimi Antonelli, which now seems the more likely route they will take.
Why is Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari?
As an iconic racing brand, Ferrari have been looking for a driver to match its illustrious pedigree for some time and has struggled – relatively speaking – in recent years on the track. Ferrari has not had a driver world champion since Kimi Raikkonen won in 2007.
Chairman John Elkann wanted to land a big name and has reportedly long been a fan of Hamilton, per ESPN. Sainz's contract discussions with Ferrari, which ultimately led to him moving to Williams, created an opening for Hamilton at Ferrari.
It's not entirely clear what prompted Hamilton's exit from Mercedes. He and Mercedes have endured back-to-back disappointing seasons, with his most recent win coming in late 2021.
Hamilton has been connected with Ferrari at points throughout his career, including during his 2023 contract negotiations with Mercedes. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was confident that while Hamilton and Ferrari met, his man would remain with Mercedes.
The allure of racing for the iconic brand of Ferrari, coupled with long-term concerns over winning at Mercedes, may have resulted in Hamilton changing teams. Though Ferrari, like other racing teams, have struggled to keep up with Red Bull, so the chance to win with an iconic brand could further build on the historic legacy Hamilton has already cultivated within the sport.