“He should’ve gone there” – Lando Norris reveals where he thinks Carlos Sainz should be driving in 2025. Lando Norris Suggests Better F1 Team Choice for Carlos Sainz Over Williams.

Lando Norris believes Carlos Sainz should have joined a top-tier Formula 1 team instead of Williams following his departure from Scuderia Ferrari. The British driver and Carlos Sainz were teammates at McLaren, and the Briton shared his thoughts on the Ferrari driver’s recent move to Williams, which was officially announced a few days ago.

After Scuderia Ferrari confirmed it would sign seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton for the upcoming Formula 1 season, Carlos Sainz lost his seat and spent months considering his options for next hope, in the hope of receiving an offer from a top team that would allow him to fight for race wins and podiums. Ultimately, he signed a multi-year deal with Williams, committing to the team for 2026 and beyond, which means it will be difficult for the Spanish driver to fight for ambitious targets in the next season.

Initially, Carlos Sainz was linked to potential seats at Mercedes and Red Bull for the 2025 Formula 1 championship. However, Red Bull decided to retain Sergio Perez, despite his recent struggles and poor form in the last few months, while Mercedes has focused on teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a future prospect.

With limited options among top teams, the Ferrari driver had to consider teams lower down the grid. Audi, which has recently appointed Mattia Binotto at the top of its F1 management, expressed interest in him for their new F1 project, and Alpine also made an offer, with Flavio Briatorie doring everything possible to convince the Spanish driver. In the end, it seems that Williams presented the most compelling case.

Lando Norris expressed disappointment at seeing his former McLaren teammate move down the grid. Speaking to Sky Sports, he emphasized that Carlos Sainz deserves to be competing at the front, even after his tenure with the Maranello team: “I don’t know what [the top teams’] plans are, but the easy one is to say Red Bull. He should have gone there, in my eyes. I’m biased – I know Carlos more than I know Checo [Perez] – but Carlos deserves a lot. He’s one of the best drivers in Formula 1, he’s proven that countless times. I’m a good friend of his.” – the McLaren driver explained in his interview for Sky Sports.

“I’m happy for him, that he’s still in Formula 1, I’m happy that he got a [2025] drive and he can try to bring Williams back up. Him partnering Alex [Albon] will be good for Formula 1 at the same time. That’s a good thing, but I’m sure a lot of people would love to say that he should have gone to Red Bull, potentially. But that’s not my decision to make.” – Lando Norris added.

Team principal Christian Horner has decided to extend Sergio Perez’s tenure with Red Bull for now. In a meeting with staff at the team’s Milton Keynes headquarters a few days ago, the Red Bull boss confirmed that the Mexican will remain in the RB20 car for the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort circuit later this month. However, Christian Horner also indicated that Sergio Perez’s position for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 championship is not secure.