It is not often that an F1 driver in his prime signs with a backmarker team immediately after leaving a race-winning side. However, that was the case for Carlos Sainz after Ferrari decided to replace him with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
Sainz didn’t have many options, with the grid being highly competitive. Only Williams and Sauber were genuinely open to signing him, and he chose the Grove-based outfit, considering it the better of the two options.
However, Sainz felt optimistic about his Williams stint, particularly because of his good decision-making track record.
During his introduction to the Williams team, Sainz reflected on his time at McLaren between 2019-2020, where he made significant contributions to the team’s progress. He also shared how he envisioned something greater for the team during his tenure there.
“I remember when I left McLaren (after 2020), I really thought there were really good people there, and the team could be world champions in the future,” Sainz said. “McLaren ended up being world champions last year“.
The Madrid-born driver trusted his instinct and signed with Williams, hoping that this would turn out to be another great decision.
“How many times do you shampoo per day?”
Inside Carlos’ first day at Grove as he meets the team for the first time
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 4, 2025
Although McLaren was in a much better position when he signed for them in 2019, finishing sixth in the Constructors’ standings the year before, like Williams, they too had not registered a podium for a while. However, in Sainz’s very first season, he secured his maiden podium by finishing third at the Brazilian Grand Prix, showing immediate signs of progress.
Now, Sainz will hope to have a similar impact at Williams. While 2025 is likely to be a season of struggle, both Sainz and Williams will aim to challenge the frontrunners in 2026, when a regulation overhaul takes place.
Why Williams could be the dark horse in 2026?
The pecking order can change drastically with a major regulation overhaul, something that will unfold in 2026. Take 2022 as an example, when Red Bull nailed the ground-effect regulations and produced one of the most dominant cars that year. Prior to that, it had been Mercedes dominating each year from 2014 to 2021.
Williams will hope to replicate something similar in 2026, and they appear to have the ingredients in place. They arguably boast the strongest driver line-up—Sainz and Alex Albon—who have the ability to extract the maximum from the package they produce in 2026.
Their biggest asset going into 2026 will be their power unit partner, Mercedes, who, as mentioned before, have a proven track record in producing a dominant engine when there is a significant regulatory shift.
Furthermore, with McLaren winning the Constructors’ title last year using Mercedes engines, it demonstrates that customer teams also have an equal opportunity to win, provided they take the right steps.
