Carlos Sainz has ‘direct decision’ between two F1 teams after Red Bull snub

Carlos Sainz now faces a direct choice between Williams and Sauber/Audi for F1 2025 after missing out on a Red Bull seat, it has been claimed.

Red Bull’s formal confirmation of a new two-year contract extension for Sergio Perez ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix has closed another door for Sainz, who is seeking a drive for 2025 after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz was believed to be waiting to know that a seat at Red Bull was completely off the table before committing to either the Williams or Sauber/Audi project, with the Spaniard understood to have been offered terms by both teams.

And Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft believes Sainz will ultimately end up at Williams.

"[Williams team principal] James Vowles is a very, very inspiring person. He has a strategy, he knows that nothing is going to happen overnight, and he is selling a dream,” Croft said on the latest episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

"He sold a dream to Alex Albon, who also has a lot of faith in the Mercedes power unit for 2026, and can he get Sainz? Well, the answer to that is 'yes, he can’.

"I've spoken to the Sainz camp on this one - he's got a decision, Audi or Williams.

"There is no deadline from Audi. That had been reported but it's not true, he didn't have to make his mind up by the end of May. It's not about money. It's about where Carlos sees the vision for the future.

"So do you put your faith in a brand-new project [Audi] that you know is an entity that has been successful in world motorsport on many occasions in the past but not in Formula 1? Or do you put your faith in a rather more known entity [Williams] that has been successful in F1 but has been in very much lean times over the last few years?

"Personally, hand on heart, I think he'll go to Williams.

"I think that is where Carlos Sainz is heading because he can see what is in front of him with Williams. He probably can't see the Audi vision at the moment because there is not much to tell.

“They haven't taken over at Sauber, they are building power units but that's it. If James Vowles gets him, then fair play to him...because that's a major coup and a brilliant driver line-up that can power that team for many years to come.”

While Mercedes are in need of a replacement for seven-time world champion Hamilton, they are thought to be leaning towards promoting their highly-rated Formula 2 protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli straight into the works team next season.

Sky F1 presenter and fellow guest Simon Lazenby added: "Mercedes I don't think he [Sainz] is in the running for so it is a direct [decision] between Sauber/Audi and Williams.

“The case for Williams at the moment is performance because just look at how Sauber are performing on track. [Sauber] have got a long way to go, but Williams is quite a strong case at the moment for him."