Two-podium F1 driver at risk of losing his seat next year after Carlos Sainz joined Williams

Williams secured a huge coup for their 2025 driver line-up this year as they confirmed the signing of Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard moves over from Ferrari on a multi-year deal after being replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz marks a significant upgrade for Williams in 2025 as he arrives at the Grove-based outfit as a three-time race winner – grabbing two of them in 2024. Ted Kravitz says Williams will have to step up when Sainz arrives as he joins the team with more pedigree and experience than the likes of Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto.

The 30-year-old will be partnering Alex Albon next year in what his a strong driver pairing for Williams. Team principal James Vowles says Sainz’s arrival has already impacted Williams’ focus for 2025 as the team now have ‘two leaders’ who can push the boundaries and improve the team across the organisation.

However, after a difficult 2024 season, Sainz could put his new teammate at risk of losing his seat next year.

Alex Albon could be at risk of losing his seat in 2025 if Carlos Sainz outperforms him at Williams

Since joining Williams in 2022, Albon has carried the team on his back as he considerably outperformed Latifi and Sargeant as teammates. Of the 53 points the Grove-based outfit have scored over the last three seasons, Albon scored 45 of them.

But the Thai driver was put under some pressure when Colapinto arrived on the scene midway through 2024. The Argentine beat Albon four times in his nine appearances – albeit three of them were because of retirements.

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The 28-year-old endured a tough 2024 campaign as he scored just 12 points, but his end to the season was particularly poor. Albon achieved a highest finish of 11th in the last seven races as he suffered multiple accidents – he did not even start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix due to the damage caused to his car in a crash in qualifying.

Speaking on the James Allen On F1 Podcast, journalist Ben Hunt says Albon’s position will be ‘under scrutiny’ in 2025 if Sainz gets the better of him next season.

“I think the other one we need to watch is Alex Albon at Williams as well.

“Not had a particularly good year, end of season definitely, and I think that it will be interesting to see Carlos Sainz going into that team.

“If he delivers week in, week out and sort of blows Albon away, maybe they’ll be reanalysing that driver line-up and seeing who they would get in.

“Obviously there was a little bit of pressure with Colapinto, there was some pressure to take him, he had a bit of a poor end. But I think his position, Albon’s, will be under scrutiny just by virtue of having a new teammate come in that’s a race winner and showing what he can do in that car.”

Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have a big task ahead at Williams in 2025

Williams are a team with high aspirations for the future when the new technical regulations come into effect in 2026, and their line-up of Albon and Sainz, in theory, puts them in good stead to perform.

But the Grove-based outfit has serious work to do if they want to return to the heights they were once at. Williams finished ninth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 with just 17 points.

Guenther Steiner thinks Williams have won the lottery by signing Sainz, who will bring a winning mentality to the side of the garage that has desperately underperformed for the last few years.

While it is a strong partnership, Albon has been known to crumble under pressure, and he will need to be on top form when Sainz arrives.

Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Sainz will create an opportunity for Colapinto to return to the Williams cockpit as he cannot see Albon performing alongside the Spaniard.