The 2025 F1 season could become a rude awakening for Carlos Sainz as he transitions from Ferrari to Williams. Since joining the Scuderia in 2021, the #55 driver has consistently fought at the sharp end of the field. Now, he takes up the mantle of team leader at the Grove-based team that finished ninth in the standings last season.
That said, veteran F1 journalist, Jon Noble believes that Sainz has already made peace with the fact that he will not be fighting for wins and podiums in 2025. However, that does not mean he will be satisfied by just languishing in the lower pack of the grid.
️ Hear from Carlos Sainz on his decision to join Williams from 2025 onwards: pic.twitter.com/31b3cOP27a
— The Race (@wearetherace) July 29, 2024
Speaking for The Race, Noble said, “I think he’s accepted that reality so, I think it won’t be too much of a shock. But I think he will want to see progress. I don’t think he’ll want to be struggling right at the back. I think he’ll want to see Williams getting into Q3 [and] fighting for points and potentially moving forwards.”
Joining Williams wasn’t the first choice for Sainz, as Mercedes and Red Bull rejected him in his search for a top seat last year when it was announced he would be making way for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
But the Spanish driver has taken up James Vowles’ offer with a view of rebuilding Williams and taking them back to the top of F1 again. Though Alex Albon has been the de facto leader at the team so far, Sainz will be squaring to take those responsibilities from him and guide the 2026 car’s development to his liking and approach.
Albon will have to toughen up against Sainz in 2025
Albon made a return to the sport after being given the axe by Red Bull in 2022 with Williams. Since then, the #23 driver has impressed many with his performances in the Williams car. But from a teammate perspective, he’s never really been challenged.
During his time with Williams, the British-Thai driver has competed mostly against the likes of Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant in equal machinery. Both these drivers have been sacked by the team due to their lack of results. Now, with Sainz alongside him, Noble expects Albon’s first real teammate rivalry.
“I think [Albon] knows that he’s going to need to lift his game and be sharper,” Noble said. He highlighted how Williams was “pretty much a one-car team” when Sargeant and Latifi were Albon’s teammates, who never really challenged him. That said, Noble also added that Albon will relish the battle against Sainz.
Noble went on to explain that the #23 driver will not be obsessing over beating the #55 driver, but rather, working in tandem with him. This could be welcome news for Vowles, who knows that a united front on the driver lineup could bolster their chances of moving up the pecking order in the Constructors’ standings in the next two seasons.
