Williams driver Carlos Sainz has openly acknowledged that he never truly neared replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season. This came in the wake of Hamilton’s headline-grabbing transfer to Ferrari at the end of last year, which opened up the Mercedes seat.
Following Hamilton’s departure, Sainz became part of a transfer saga involving several teams before ultimately securing a multi-year contract with Williams. Despite widespread speculation linking him to top teams, including Sauber and Alpine, the former Ferrari driver did not finalize a deal with Mercedes. Mercedes instead chose Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton’s successor after evaluating various options.
Sainz’s competitive standing within Williams for the upcoming season
In addition to his team movements, Sainz is set to compete directly against Williams teammate Alex Albon in the 2025 season. Their qualifying and race head-to-head statistics are expected to provide a clear picture of their relative performances as the season progresses.
During an appearance on the High Performance podcast, Sainz described his interactions with Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, throughout 2024 in connection to the possibility of replacing Hamilton. While he admits to being among the candidates considered, he remains realistic about how remote that option was.
When asked how close he got to securing a Mercedes seat, Sainz responded plainly, “Not really.” He added,
“We spoke a lot with Toto and everyone else at the time and I was certainly one of the options that was considered. But how close was I? You can ask Toto that.”
“But I think he is very happy with Kimi Antonelli.”
—Carlos Sainz, F1 driver
Revealed moments highlighting Sainz’s wait for contact from Mercedes
Recent episodes of the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive exposed Sainz’s unease due to the lack of communication from Wolff. A memorable scene shows Sainz alongside Hamilton at a Bahrain press conference, where he mentions he had yet to speak with Wolff.
Hamilton then quietly prompts, “What about talking to Toto?” To which Sainz replies in another interview,
“I haven’t talked to Toto yet. Which makes me feel like if he really had an interest, he would have already called me.”
—Carlos Sainz, F1 driver
Challenges faced by Sainz during his early tenure at Williams
Sainz’s start with Williams has been difficult, as reflected in his modest tally of 13 points over the first 12 races. Trailing teammate Alex Albon by 33 points before the Belgian Grand Prix, Sainz has scored only 2 points in his past five races. His recent qualifying performance has also been disappointing, missing the Q3 cut for three consecutive rounds at the Spanish, Canadian, and Austrian Grands Prix.
This challenging period underscores the obstacles that Sainz currently faces as he works to regain form and consistency with Williams.
Implications of the Mercedes talks for Sainz’s career trajectory
Though the prospect of joining Mercedes did not come close to fruition, Sainz’s discussions with Wolff indicate that he remains on the radar among top teams. His reflections suggest a pragmatic acceptance of the situation, appreciating the reasons behind Mercedes’ final choice and focusing on the challenges ahead with Williams.
As the 2025 season progresses, both Sainz’s development at Williams and any future negotiations will be closely watched by the F1 paddock. The details shared provide valuable insight into the complexities of driver moves at the highest level and underscore the competitive nature of securing coveted seats in Formula 1.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is the net worth of the Williams star Carlos Sainz? According to the popular media outlet Celebrity Net Worth, Carlos Sainz’s net worth lies around $50 million in 2025.
A. Does Carlos Sainz have a lot of money?
Yes, Carlos Sainz is quite wealthy. As a professional Formula 1 driver, he earns a significant income from his salary, sponsorships, and endorsements.
Q. Is Carlos Sainz intelligent?
A. The Spanish racer is smart and relies on his instincts, strategically navigating the race to score points.
Q. Is Carlos Sainz smart?
A. It’s clear why Sainz is called Chilli. The Spanish racer is both smart and instinctive, using his brains and intuition to score points in races.
