Guenther Steiner explains why he was ‘very surprised’ Carlos Sainz chose Williams

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Carlos Sainz is set to become an official driver for Williams in the 2025 season having made his decision following months of uncertainty.

Team principal James Vowles explained that he was one of the most sought-after drivers on the grid following news that Ferrari would drop him in favour of Lewis Hamilton, forcing the Spaniard into becoming a free agent in 2024.

Carlos Sainz will take up Logan Sargeant’s place alongside Alex Albon, in what 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill described as one of the strongest driver lineups.

Former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner also believes Williams will find success with their pairing, but was surprised by the move from Sainz when speaking on the RacingNews365 podcast.

Guenther Steiner ‘surprised’ by Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams

Sainz reportedly had several offers on the table to join teams across the grid including Alpine and Sauber, with the latter in anticipation of their transition to Audi.

Audi was set to give Sainz a lucrative deal even Red Bull could not match, while Vowles was also clear that he needed to sell the seat to the Spaniard due to his father’s previous history with the German car-maker in motorsport.

Steiner believes Vowles played an important role in convincing him that Williams would be a worthwhile project to be part of in the years to come.

“They have now one of the best driver pairings in F1 because Alex and Carlos are very good. I respect both of them,” said Steiner.

“I didn’t expect Carlos to go there because the Williams is not what it was supposed to be this year, but James has convinced Alex to stay and Carlos to come there after what he told them is in the pipeline.

“I was very surprised though that Carlos chose Williams when he had the doors open to Alpine and Audi, because they are manufacturer teams and normally good drivers go to manufacturer teams, but James has told him something to convince him. I would have done the same as James, if you want to improve a team that is struggling the best is to have two experienced drivers.”

Williams looking ahead to 2026 with future driver lineup

Williams arguably has one of the strongest driver lineups of the 2025 season alongside Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

Two experienced drivers should enable them to revive their fortunes after stagnating in the midfield this season, with Vowles hopeful that Sainz can show his leadership qualities when he joins the Oxfordshire-based squad.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Sainz is reportedly on a £8.5 million-a-year deal with Williams which contains a specific clause in his contract that might see him leave Williams for either Mercedes or Red Bull.

Such a move could change the dynamic at Mercedes for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is likely going to be expected to perform immediately if the Silver Arrows continue their upward trajectory. If Kimi Antonelli is unable to hit his targets then Sainz could replace him midway through the season.