Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has signed a multi-year contract with Williams to stay in F1 for 2025 and beyond.

The Spanish driver, who joined the Scuderia in 2021, has been looking for a seat for next year since being axed in February for Lewis Hamilton at the Italian outfit.

With Red Bull and Mercedes off the table as options despite talks, the three-time grand prix winner has opted for a new project with James Vowles’ Grove-based team and will partner Alex Albon from next season.

Sainz will replace American driver Logan Sargeant, who has endured a tough 18 months and is now on the lookout for an unlikely alternative seat for next year.

“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,” Sainz, 29, said.

“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 ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.

“I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and starting on January 1 I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team.”

Sainz won his first F1 race at Silverstone in 2022. He also won in Singapore last year - the only non-Red Bull driver to win a grand prix in 2023 - and in Australia earlier this year. Despite his strong racing CV, having previously competed for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren, Sainz has found it difficult to make a decision over his future and has opted for a team currently languishing second-bottom in the constructors’ standings.

Vowles, the former Mercedes strategist who took over Williams at the start of the 2023 season, insists Sainz’s signature means Williams will have “one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid.”

He added: “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, with race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upwards trajectory we are on.

“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.

“In Alex and Carlos we will have one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid and with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026. Their belief in this organisation’s mission demonstrates the magnitude of the work going on behind the scenes.

“People should be in no doubt about our ambition and momentum as we continue our journey back to competitiveness – we are here, we are serious and with Dorilton’s backing we are investing in what it takes to return to the front of the grid.”

Sainz added: “I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Board of Williams for their trust and determination. Their solid leadership and convictions have played an important role in my decision-making. I truly believe that the core of every successful team lies amongst their people and their culture.

“Williams is synonymous with heritage and pure racing, the foundations of the project that lies ahead of us are very strong and I am really looking forward to being part of it starting next year.

“I also want to thank Logan for everything he has done for the team and know he will continue to fight hard for us in the races ahead.”