Williams confirm Sainz to drive for team at Abu Dhabi post-season test

Williams have announced that new signing Carlos Sainz will make his maiden on-track appearance for the team at the Abu Dhabi end-of-season test next month.

Sainz will switch to the Grove outfit over the winter after current employers Ferrari opted to sign seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as his replacement from 2025.

READ MORE: Sainz insists final races with Ferrari won't be his last chance of fighting for F1 wins amid Williams move

On Friday, Williams issued a press release to confirm that Sainz will drive the current FW46 at the annual post-season gathering, which comes in the week after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (December 6-8).

As per the squad’s statement, the upcoming run at the Yas Marina Circuit “will allow both Carlos and Williams to begin building their relationship” before officially joining forces.

“The test session will provide a valuable chance for Carlos to begin integrating into his new team environment,” added the release.

READ MORE: ‘He’s demanding when he needs to be’ – Sainz’s former race engineer explains what Williams can expect from him

Sainz will pair up with Thai-British driver Alex Albon when he moves to Williams, taking over from stand-in racer Franco Colapinto, who replaced Logan Sargeant midway through the 2024 season.