Formula 1’s driver market went into overdrive to fix the grid for the 2025 season with
Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari the headline move after eight teams hired new drivers.
Just Aston Martin and McLaren decided to retain their line-ups from last year, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll plus Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remaining in situ among the field of 20 racers. The 2025 Formula 1 grid also boasts four rookies and two new full-time drivers.
Haas hired Oliver Bearman for what would have been his rookie season, but the FIA stripped the Briton of the tag following his three cameos last year. Liam Lawson has also graduated to Red Bull for his first year as a full-time driver after 11 Grand Prix starts in the past two terms.
The headline move undoubtedly was Hamilton quitting Mercedes for Ferrari in search of his eighth F1 drivers’ championship crown. His decision to defect to the Scuderia saw the Silver Arrows promote their academy talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli as one of this season’s rookies.
Carlos Sainz tipped to ‘dominate’ Alex Albon at Williams
Hamilton joining Ferrari also saw the Scuderia scrap talks to give Carlos Sainz a new contract beyond the end of 2024. So, the Spaniard signed with Williams to remain on the grid, taking the place of Logan Sargeant – who failed to see out 2024, with Franco Colapinto stepping in.
Williams handed Sainz an initial two-year contract, with the option for a third, to partner Alex Albon in Grove. The 30-year-old’s deal is worth £8.5m-a-season against Albon’s £6.5m-a-season Williams contract through 2027. Team principal James Vowles went all-in for Sainz.
READ MORE: Williams star Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height
Former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari is convinced that Sainz and Williams are an ideal match. But the Madrid native suiting his home in Grove will come at the expense of his new London-born Thai teammate. Alguersuari feels Albon is now on borrowed time beside Sainz.
“I believe that Carlos is going to get Williams and it will cost Albon a lot,” Alguersuari said on The After Lap Podcast. “I also believe in all senses, maybe [in] qualifying [it] is close. Maybe one day he will be close, maybe he is with him [and] maybe he will beat him.
“But I already tell you that in 24 races, it is going to cost [Albon] a lot. He will score a lot less points unless things happen well. But in general, the general theme we are going to see [is] Carlos very, very far ahead of Albon.
“This comes to my head – you know that when a driver dominates a lot, the second one many times you think about changing him because he doesn’t do the job and nothing less comes to my head now.”
Alex Albon must use his three years at Williams to lead Carlos Sainz early on
Sainz joins Williams on the back of his career-best season after taking fifth in the F1 drivers’ championship with 290 points. It was not the first time he took fifth place but last year saw the 30-year-old also claim wins at the Australian Grand Prix and the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Never before had he won multiple races in the same season through 209 Grand Prix entries and 206 starts. Albon is still waiting for his first win through 106 entries and 104 starts, with the 28-year-old further boasting just two podiums to Sainz’s 27 as well as six pole positions.
Albon will now look to make his three years in Grove count when the 2025 F1 season starts at the Australian GP on March 26. Sainz is still learning how to use a Mercedes power unit and has asked Williams to change his steering wheel to mirror his clutch position at Ferrari.
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