Carlos Sainz arrives at Williams F1 ready for a new challenge. The Spanish driver inevitably has had to lower his expectations having been a multi-time Grand Prix winner. Sainz was asked recently what a good first year with Williams would look like. His comments showed he is very much thinking long-term. In particular, the newest driver to join Williams is excited for the huge opportunity which the 2026 will bring.
Carlos Sainz has had a brief experience of what Williams’ 2025 F1 challenger feels like. This happened at the Silverstone shakedown earlier this week. To the outsider, the FW47 appears to be a straightforward evolution of its predecessor. Due to the fact that last season saw the team finish P9 of the 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship, expectation cannot surely be too high for 2025. However, team principal James Vowles has said that the 2025 car is a world of difference to 2024.
Goals and expectations for 2025
Meanwhile, Sainz was asked recently what a good first year with Williams would look like. The 30-year-old was clear that the team can only set goals and expectations for 2025 once he sees how it compares to the rest of the grid.
“I assess a good Formula One season depending on the car I have,” Sainz explained. “So, I need to see first the car that I’m gonna have this year in terms of what results I can achieve with that car consistently. Then depending on how competitive the car is, I will set myself targets in terms of where I wanna finish every race. Then I can say that’s a good season or a bad season but first I guess I need to assess the performance of the car.”
Continue progress and keep showing momentum
Sainz went on to explain how what is key for the team is to continue progress and keep showing good momentum.
“I think as a team we’re coming off the back of very difficult years. But I think the last few years you can tell the team is in an upward trajectory. It’s in a good momentum. For me the wave is growing with the arrival of our title sponsor Atlassian. The fact that, obviously I joined the team, I see progress, I see motivation. I see people wanting to get this thing back to the front of the grid and that for me 2025 is all about keep showing up and keep not letting the wave stop.
“I say that because maybe doesn’t sound very specific but I think a lot of our efforts this year are going to be focused in in 2026 and trying to capitalise on the huge opportunity that 2026 brings to the team. For that we want to be super ready and we need to use 2025 to make sure we correct a lot of the things that we can correct now to make sure we are ready for ’26.
Has Sainz fallen in love with Williams yet?
Irrespective of where their form is currently, Williams is a legendary F1 team, and Sainz was asked as to whether he has fallen in love with Williams and this project. If not, the Spanish driver was asked whether anything was missing as opposed to just results on track.
“Of course, results on the track are the most important thing,—that’s what I care about the most,” Sainz stated. “But I also know that, at Williams, I’ll need to be patient and realistic about expectations in this first year.
“What matters most to me is the project itself. Since the first time James Vowles spoke to me about it, and especially after joining Williams, talking to Dorilton Capital and seeing the work being done at Grove for this team to be competitive again… I’ve felt genuinely motivated.”
One of the strongest driver pairings
Carlos Sainz will not be alone at Williams as he joins Alex Albon. The two drivers form arguably one of the strongest driver pairings of the grid for 2025. Sainz gave his thoughts on the mindset he feels will come from Williams in this coming season and beyond.
“I believe that, together with Alex, we can form a strong driver pairing, working in the same direction. Feeling supported by the team, seeing the effort being put into making Williams competitive again, and imagining the possibility of winning a race with this team in the future—that excites me. I’m all in.”
What is possible for Sainz remains to be seen
Williams are not short on fans as they are a global name in the pinnacle of motorsport. The addition of Carlos Sainz will appeal to many more fans.
As to what is possible for Sainz, that remains to be seen. The former Ferrari man has said he needs time. He needs time to analyse where his rivals are in Bahrain at the pre-season tests. He then needs time to see what he can do in Australia next month. One thing that is clear is that momentum at Williams is on the up. Should the trajectory continue in such a way then who knows where the Grove-based team could be in a few years.
Co-author: Fernanda Álvarez
