Lando Norris says 383-race F1 team should have sacked their driver to sign Carlos Sainz

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Carlos Sainz is joining Williams for the 2025 season, it was announced on Monday. At last, perhaps the biggest story in this year’s driver market is at an end.

Sainz has been the top free agent on the market since February, when Ferrari announced the bombshell signing of Lewis Hamilton. But even as a three-time race-winner with 23 podiums, he attracted limited interest from F1’s top teams.

In the end, the Spaniard found himself choosing between the bottom three in the constructors’ championship. He eventually went with Williams, who have only scored four points this year.

Sauber didn’t appeal even though a giant manufacturer in Audi will take over in 2026. And the ongoing upheaval at Alpine may have dissuaded Sainz from accepting their offer.

He’s clearly most convinced by the long-term potential of James Vowles’ project. The team principal has already tied down Alex Albon, one of the most highly-rated midfield drivers, in the sister car.

Historically, Williams are a titan, with seven drivers’ titles and nine constructors’ crowns to their name. But they haven’t finished in the top three in the championship since 2015, or even the top six since 2017.

Lando Norris says Red Bull should have replaced Sergio Perez with Carlos Sainz

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Thursday, Sainz’s former teammate Lando Norris offered his reaction to this week’s announcement. They spent two years together at McLaren in 2019 and 2020.

Norris is excited by the combination of Sainz and Albon and hopes he can revive the team’s fortunes. But he also feels that the 29-year-old was denied the kind of opportunity that he deserves.

If it was up to him, then Sainz would be partnering Max Verstappen at Red Bull next season. That would come at the expense of Sergio Perez, whose dismal run of 28 points in eight races has given McLaren a real shot at the constructors’ title.

Christian Horner didn’t want to reunite Sainz and Verstappen because there was tension between them at Toro Rosso in 2015. For the moment, he’s stuck by Perez, although the Mexican’s medium-to-long-term future remains uncertain.

Norris said: “Honestly, the easy one is just to say Red Bull. He should have gone there in my eyes. I’m biased – I know Carlos more than I know Checo.

“Carlos deserves a lot. He’s one of the best drivers in Formula 1. He’s proven that countless times. And I’m a good friend of his.

“I’m happy for him that he’s still in Formula 1, that he got a drive and he can try and bring Williams back up. Him partnering Alex will be good for Formula 1 at the same time.

“But I’m sure a lot of people would have loved to say that he should have gone to Red Bull potentially. But that’s not my decision to make.”

James Vowles agrees with Lando Norris about Williams signing Carlos Sainz

Vowles can’t quite believe his luck in signing Sainz. At the start of the season, he expected one of the frontrunners to snap him up.

Like Norris, Vowles says he would have paired Sainz and Verstappen at Red Bull. Much as beating the Dutchman in that environment would be a near-impossible task, he would likely have jumped at the opportunity.

Red Bull are establishing themselves as an icon of F1’s modern age, with 120 race wins in their 383 entries. Verstappen is set to win a fourth straight drivers’ title in their colours this year.

It remains to be seen how long Sainz stays at Grove. Tellingly, there’s already talk that Mercedes could make an offer for 2026 if rookie Kimi Antonelli fails to meet expectations next season.