Iconic British Formula One team Williams Racing is preparing for an exciting new chapter as it unveils its title sponsor for the 2025 season. Spanish banking giant Santander will join forces with Williams, marking a fresh start for the team. Known for its long-standing association with Scuderia Ferrari, Santander’s move to Williams signals a significant realignment in the F1 sponsorship landscape.
The partnership is a multi-year agreement, as confirmed by Williams, and underlines the team’s ambition to revitalise its presence in the sport. The Santander logo will feature prominently on the forthcoming FW47 car, as well as on the drivers’ helmets and team uniforms. Fans won’t have to wait until next season to see the new branding, as the current FW46 will be sporting the Santander logo during the much-anticipated post-season tests in Abu Dhabi.
A new driver line-up: Sainz joins Albon
Williams also welcomes a high-profile addition to its driver line-up: Carlos Sainz. The 30-year-old Spaniard will team up with Alexander Albon in what promises to be a dynamic pairing for the 2025 season. Sainz’s arrival is a major coup for Williams, especially as he was one of the most sought-after drivers on the market this year.
Sainz replaces Franco Colapinto, the young talent who departs after a short stint with the team. While Colapinto showed promise, the opportunity to bring in an experienced driver like Sainz proved too great to pass up.
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Sainz spotted driving the Williams for the first time
Carlos Sainz is already settling into life as a Williams driver. The Spaniard was recently spotted behind the wheel of the FW46 during a day of filming at the Yas Marina circuit, just hours after the team confirmed Santander as its new sponsor. This marks the beginning of Sainz’s integration into the Williams set-up as he transitions from Ferrari to his new home.
Sainz’s debut behind the Williams car precedes his participation in the official post-season test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The timing of his first laps couldn’t be more appropriate, coming shortly after he ended his Ferrari tenure with an impressive performance in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Starting third on the grid, Sainz quickly moved up to second after Oscar Piastri was spun by Max Verstappen in the first corner. While he had hoped to secure the Constructors’ title for Ferrari, the team ultimately fell short, losing out to McLaren as Lando Norris claimed victory.
Despite the disappointment, Sainz is already looking to the future. His first experience in the FW46 during the filming day marks a new chapter in his career, one in which he aims to help Williams return to the upper echelons of Formula One. This early opportunity to familiarise himself with the team’s car and processes highlights both Williams’ eagerness to integrate their star signing and Sainz’s commitment to make a strong start.
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Sainz’s decision: Why Williams?
Sainz’s move to Williams comes as a surprise to some, given the other teams reportedly vying for his signature, including Audi/Sauber and Red Bull. While rumours of Red Bull’s interest swirled, it appears that no concrete offer was made by the Milton Keynes-based team.
In the end, Sainz chose Williams for two main reasons: the security of a guaranteed seat for 2025 and the team’s persistent efforts to secure his services. According to Sainz, Williams demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to bringing him on board and offered a vision that convinced him to join their ambitious project.
“But I can’t express how much I felt that Williams wanted me. There was a huge incentive to go to Williams. The team also worked very hard to convince me. So I’m just looking forward to this project,” said Sainz in a recent statement.
Despite considering other opportunities, Sainz insisted that Williams’ determination was the deciding factor in his decision.
A new era for Williams Racing
The addition of Santander and Sainz marks a transformative period for Williams Racing, a team with a storied history but a challenging recent past.
Once a dominant force in Formula One, Williams has struggled to recapture its former glory in the modern hybrid era. These new partnerships represent a commitment to move forward with renewed vigour.
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The Santander connection
Santander’s involvement could provide Williams with much-needed financial and strategic support. The bank’s previous partnership with Ferrari was fruitful, aligning its brand with one of the most successful teams in the sport.
Now the move to Williams represents a new direction, perhaps one that reflects Williams’ aspirations to return to contention.
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The Sainz factor
Sainz’s experience and skill will undoubtedly boost Williams’ prospects. Having raced for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari, Sainz brings a wealth of knowledge and adaptability to the team. His ability to produce strong performances in different conditions and with different teams makes him an asset to Williams as they strive to develop a competitive car for 2025.
His pairing with Alexander Albon, another proven talent, sets the stage for an exciting dynamic within the team. Albon has been a consistent performer for Williams and his collaboration with Sainz could provide valuable insights into car development and race strategy.
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Colapinto’s departure
Franco Colapinto’s departure from Williams may feel abrupt, but it reflects the team’s desire to prioritise experience over potential in the immediate future. While Colapinto’s future in motorsport remains bright, his departure opens the door for an experienced driver such as Sainz to lead Williams into a more competitive phase.
As the 2024 season draws to a close, all eyes are on Williams and their preparations for 2025. The Abu Dhabi tests will provide an early glimpse of how the team plans to integrate its new driver and sponsor into its framework. The updated livery of the FW46, featuring Santander, is expected to make a strong visual statement about the team’s new ambitions.
With the addition of Carlos Sainz and the solid financial backing of Santander, Williams is poised to take a significant step forward. While challenges remain, the combination of experienced drivers, a committed sponsor and a rejuvenated team ethos could mark the beginning of a new era for this legendary racing outfit.
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Final thoughts
Williams Racing’s journey back to F1 competitiveness has been a long and arduous one. However, the addition of a high-profile driver like Carlos Sainz and a major sponsor in Santander shows that the team is not content to remain at the back of the grid. As they embark on this promising new chapter, the coming season will be a crucial measure of their progress.
Sainz’s first laps in the FW46 at Yas Marina provide a symbolic starting point for that journey. His move from Ferrari to Williams marks a new challenge for the Spaniard, and his partnership with Alexander Albon promises to bring fresh energy to the team. With the renewed support of a global brand and an injection of fresh talent, Williams Racing could be on the verge of reclaiming its place among the sport’s elite.
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Flavio Briatore is both a maverick and a force of nature within the Formula One paddock, his rise to management and team ownership was astonishing in its pace. Briatore attended his first F1 weekend in Australia in 1988 and declared he had little interest in the sport.
Luciano Benetton appointed Flavio commercial director of his family owned and named F1 team and when the management was fired soon after, Briatore was promoted to being the managing director and he set about making the team competitive.
Crashgate in Singapore 2008, where Nelson Piquet Jnr was instructed to put his car into the wall so as to benefit team mate Fernando Alonso, saw Flavio thrown out of Formula One, but earlier this season he was appointed by Renault as a special advisor to the Alpine team…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
I know it’s a subtle thing, but Santander has never been a Ferrari sponsor. They are Spanish driver sponsors hence backing Ferrari when Alonso and Sainz there.
Ferrari had already signed HP at $100 million per annum, and IBM incoming before Santander removed their backing following Sainz dismissal.