Carrying the weight of its recent backmarker status, Williams is once again expected to finish the season far from contention for wins and podiums. The team is aware of this, which is why James Vowles has even hinted at sacrificing the 2025 season in hopes of making greater gains with the regulation reset in 2026.
That, however, puts new signing Carlos Sainz in a bad position. At Ferrari, he was used to fighting for wins and podiums consistently, which means he has had to temper expectations heading into the new campaign. “They won’t see me on the podium or the top five this year, so don’t get your hopes up,” Sainz said despite clocking the fastest lap time in Bahrain’s pre-season testing.
Sainz is committed to Williams’ long-term project of rejoining the frontrunners. The team is on the right track with strong investments and a sharp mind in Vowles leading them. However, for 2025, most realistically expect them to compete only in the midfield at best.
Ted Kravitz, however, feels that Williams‘ FW47 has the potential pace even to secure race wins with both of its drivers.
“It’s not the quickest car out there, but it’s probably potentially the front of the midfield. So, on a crazy day, maybe some rain, maybe some accidents involved, either Carlos Sainz or Alex Albon could win a race,” Kravitz told Craig Slater in a preview of the season.
2025 Testing 2024 Quali
Only Williams and Alpine went quicker than they did in the 2024 Bahrain qualifying… #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/UMHDxG5HaW
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 1, 2025
Looking at the data, Kravitz’s prediction doesn’t seem far off. Both Sainz and Albon looked quick in Bahrain testing, and while Williams wasn’t the fastest team overall, the mood within the camp was positive.
Moreover, Albon has already proven that it’s possible to overperform in a Williams, having extracted valuable points from much weaker cars over the past two seasons.
Who are the major competitors for Williams?
Looking at the predicted pecking order for the 2025 season, Williams and Alpine appear to be the two main contenders for the title of “best of the rest” behind the top four teams, and Aston Martin. Given Alpine’s strong improvement toward the end of last season, it’s no surprise that they may have taken a step forward, much like Williams seems to have.
Beyond these two teams, however, the picture becomes less clear. Haas and RB haven’t provided a definitive indication of their standing during Bahrain testing.
While Haas focused primarily on long-run pace — possibly masking their outright performance — RB failed to impress as they did in 2024.
The Kannapolis-based outfit, however, remains a contender, especially given how well they performed in 2024 after flying under the radar during pre-season testing.
One key advantage Williams may have over these teams is a solid, experienced driver lineup. With proven and in-form campaigners like Albon and Sainz, they stand apart from their rivals, all of whom feature one experienced driver paired with a rookie — an approach that may not be ideal for maximizing Constructors’ Championship points.
