Williams' 2025 Driver Lineup: Top Three Contenders to Partner Alex Albon
Image Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
As we approach the summer break in Formula One, we will start to get a clearer picture of what the driver lineups for 2025 will look like. It is a time of year when rumours start flying around about where specific drivers will end up. One team that will be in the market for a driver is Williams. The British manufacturer looks to be moving on from Logan Sargeant as the American needs to perform better, particularly in the season's early stages, to keep his seat for 2025. Many good drivers on the market will be looking for a seat next season.
Carlos Sainz
Many headlines surrounding the drivers' market this year have been about Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard will be leaving Ferrari at the end of the year to make way for Sir Lewis Hamilton. Sainz is a competent racing car operator and one of the best drivers on the grid today. He is a race winner and has shown he can compete with the best. In 2024, he has been at his best, securing wins and podiums for the Italian team. Looking at his options for 2025, it is challenging to know which destination is best for his career. Of course, the ideal choice for the Spanish driver would be Mercedes. However, the Brackley-based team would only be interested in him for the short term. Then you have Sauber, which will turn into Audi in 2026. Yet, the team has been poor this season, and it will be a while until they compete at the top of the grid. The latest rumours suggest that Alpine could be in the running for Sainz's services. Both parties know each other very well, as the Spanish driver used to race for the team under the Renault name. Finally, you have Williams, which, for a while, looked like where Sainz would end up. Many people expected an announcement at the Spanish Grand Prix, but it never came. Williams is more attractive in the long term than a team like Sauber. This is because many positive rumours are coming out about the Mercedes engine in 2026, and Williams is an intelligent team that knows how to maximise results. It will be interesting to see where Sainz ends up, but Williams remains a strong contender.
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is a proven race winner and has shown he has the speed to compete at the very top of the grid. The driver from Finland has had a successful career in the pinnacle of motorsport. He debuted with Williams and performed very well for the team, leading him to Mercedes. Bottas was a critical part of the championship-winning team for many years and was the perfect partner for Hamilton. He is racing for Sauber, but the Swiss team will be looking to part ways with the former race winner at the end of the year. If Williams cannot sign Sainz, Bottas would be a great alternative. He would bring much experience to the team and knows what it is like to work with team principal James Vowles, who was part of Mercedes simultaneously as Bottas. It has been a couple of difficult seasons for Bottas as the Sauber car has massively decreased in performance from when he joined the team in 2022. Having a poor package has meant Bottas has yet to be able to get the results he deserves. On his day, the ex-Mercedes driver is one of the best qualifiers on the grid and can outperform his car. It would be a massive positive for Williams if they could secure a driver of Bottas's calibre.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
A couple of new faces will hit the grid for the first time in 2025. Oliver Bearman has already signed for Haas and put on a great display in the Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he replaced an ill Carlos Sainz. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is one of the most hyped prospects in Formula One since Max Verstappen. The Italian teenager will likely be heading to Mercedes to replace Hamilton. However, as he is so young, loaning him out to Williams for 2025 may be a good option. This move would allow him to develop quickly without the pressure of performing in a top team. If you take his potential teammate George Russell as an example, his time at Williams prepared him nicely for his eventual Mercedes role, where he is comfortably a top driver on the grid. When it comes to Antonelli, the decision on his future will be up to Mercedes, but a year or two in Williams could give him valuable experience.
Williams, a team on an upward trajectory, is steadily making its way to the top of the grid year by year. With many great options, the anticipation for their 2025 lineup is palpable. The team's potential is a source of optimism, and the prospect of them choosing Alex Albon's teammate for 2025 adds to the excitement.
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