Williams are geared up to welcome Carlos Sainz into the team next year to partner with Alex Albon. The Grove-based team’s head of vehicle performance, Dave Robson is optimistic about their 2025 driver lineup but conceded that the duo’s competitiveness could pose a challenge for the team.
Since Albon joined Williams in 2022, he has raced against Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant as his teammates. Arguably, both drivers did not match up to the British-Thai driver’s pace and prowess behind the wheel. However, with Sainz, the 28-year-old has a tough competitor to face — someone who already has a proven track record of winning Grands Prix.
In an interview with Motorsport.com, Robson said, “Of course, things will go wrong. We all know that. We have to prepare for that, for there to be rivalry between the two sides of the garage. But that is something you have to learn to deal with.”
Presenting the @WilliamsRacing line-up for 2025 and beyond #F1 pic.twitter.com/I3ooaveVqp
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2024
Williams ended the 2023 season on a high note by finishing seventh in the constructors’ standings. However, this season, they sit in ninth with only six points to their name. Going forward, the team knows that having a strong driver lineup will bolster their charge up the field.
Williams’ sporting director, Sven Smeets is especially confident that Sainz’s arrival will kickstart their resurgence in the sport. Meanwhile, in Albon, they have a driver who has grown with the team. In the past, however, he has not had a teammate who could push him and the team all the way.
Smeets explained, “It will be interesting if we also have someone on the other side of the garage who knows what they are doing. It will benefit us that we have two drivers who can push the team.”
Williams’ boss, James Vowles has hired Sainz as a leader to help him rebuild Williams’ F1 project. The 30-year-old has already won a Grand Prix this season in Australia, and is considered one of the fiercest drivers on the grid currently. Albon, on the other hand, is also a solid talent despite his rough stint at Red Bull. How their dynamic pans out will be crucial to Williams’ future, especially in 2026.
