With Lewis Hamilton taking Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari seat for 2025, the Spaniard was forced to sign with Williams — a move that seemed unthinkable just a year ago. From repping a team that was aiming for the title, Sainz went to Williams, who were backmarkers.
However, Team Principal James Vowles was determined to secure Sainz, viewing him as a key piece in Williams’ long-term rebuild. He wanted Sainz to commit to a project aimed at restoring the iconic team’s former glory, and the Spaniard’s dedication to that vision impressed him.
Sainz was so eager to help Williams that he began working with them during the 2024 post-season test. He drove their car for the first time, which, quite understandably, was vastly different from his race-winning Ferrari.
Regardless, Sainz began providing feedback on how to improve performance right from that brief test. His experience and understanding immediately made an impact on Vowles and Co., to the point that the British boss couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised.
“First of all, Abu Dhabi, at the rate he got up to speed was mind-blowing to me. It was really just a handful of laps before he was second on the timesheets and held it there all day,” Vowles said to TalkSport at the F1 75 event.
The 45-year-old found Sainz’s feedback to be “more concise” than expected. Everyone at Williams easily understood his observations and even found a correlation in the data during their debrief.
It’s safe to say that Sainz’s input will be a crucial piece of the puzzle in building a competitive Williams car.
Sainz’s expectations for 2025
After the post-season test and time spent at Williams’ base, Sainz shone during Bahrain’s pre-season testing last week.
So far, the team appears to have made progress in raw performance compared to last season. While testing lap times can be misleading, the FW47 looked promising in the hands of both Sainz and Alex Albon at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Williams showed signs of potentially creeping into the midfield battle, competing with the likes of Alpine, RB, and Haas. That would require Sainz and Albon to secure frequent top-10 finishes this season. If they manage that, it would already mark a step up from 2024, when the team finished P9 in the standings.
Sainz, however, has stated that people should temper their expectations for this season. “They won’t see on the podium or the top five this year, so don’t get your hopes up.”
Carlos Sainz has a message for his fans on what they can expect to see from him this year ️ pic.twitter.com/dpEWJNOrka
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 1, 2025
Regardless, the 30-year-old is determined to push Williams forward, and the team is working accordingly to ensure their 2026 car is a game-changer. With both aero and engine regulations set to shake up the grid next year, Sainz will be hopeful that the Grove-based team nails the new rules and returns to the sharp end of the grid.
