Carlos Sainz is on the brink of leaving Ferrari to join Williams for the 2025 F1 season on a multi-year deal, after being ousted to make room for Lewis Hamilton to join the famous squad from next year – but the Spaniard doesn’t rule out a return to the Scuderia in the future.
With just three races remaining in the 2024 season, Sainz has been performing at a high level recently – aside from a crash strewn Sunday at Interlagos – the 30-year-old managed to secure a dominant win at the F1 Mexico City GP and was matching Charles Leclerc’s pace (and even exchanging positions) during the US GP weekend, securing a second place to complete an impressive 1-2 finish at Austin for Ferrari.
When asked about this recent uptick in form and his good relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur could influence a return to the Scuderia after Lewis Hamilton’s multi-year deal (and probably F1 career, given the seven-time champion’s age) comes to an end, Sainz said he doesn’t rule out the possibility, but emphasized how he is fully “committed” to making it work at Williams:
“I think my door will always be open to Ferrari in the future,” he said. “But for the short to medium term future, my commitment to Williams and to that project is not going to change at all. I think just giving my absolute best to Ferrari in my last year with them is something that I was always going to do, or I was always going to try and do.”
The four-time grand prix winner also reflected on how it has been a “challenging” year for him due to not being part of Ferrari’s 2025 plans, and participate in discussions regarding the direction of development and how the future of the team looks – something that he’s looking forward to do at Williams:
“It’s obviously difficult because to do 24 races, knowing you’re leaving at the end of the year, especially knowing that I’m a guy that likes to focus more on the medium to long term project,” he said. “I always try and support and try to help in the direction of development and the team into the medium to long term things, to [not] have anything to look forward to and just to focus in the very short term, very last year with the team is difficult.
“And I found it in a way challenging to myself this year and went through some ups and downs.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that I was always going to try and give my best for the team, for myself, and never say never in the future.”
Williams has confirmed that Sainz will be driving for them for the first time in the post-season tyre test in Abu Dhabi, two days after the season finale takes place at the same circuit, which means he will get a direct comparison between the Ferrari and the Williams on the same circuit, just a few days apart.
“For sure for the short to medium term future, I’m 100% committed to the decision I took at the middle of this year and I actually look forward to that challenge.”
