Not many people had Carlos Sainz moving to Williams for the 2025 F1 season on their bingo card, but the partnership is already underway.
Ferrari opted to replace him with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton before the 2024 season had begun, which is a rare phenomenon.
Sainz thinks he’s stronger than Hamilton, but he won’t get much of a chance to prove it now he moves to a midfield Williams car.
He will pair up with Alex Albon, another former Red Bull academy product as they set about bringing the Grove-based outfit back to the front of the field after 20 years.
Sainz helped teammate Charles Leclerc improve at Ferrari during their four seasons together, a period where they took the team from competing for points to competing for wins every weekend.
It means that the Scuderia are finally in a position to challenge for the Constructors’ Championship against the likes of McLaren and Red Bull again, after a few years away from consistently competing at the top.
Carlos Sainz brings ‘professional’ value to Williams F1 team
Guenther Steiner says Williams have won the lottery with their Sainz signing, marking the first time that they have had a race winner in their car since 2017 (Felipe Massa).
The Spaniard will bring an exceptional level of feedback and knowledge, which is one of the biggest factors which could help his new team move in a better direction.
Speaking to Motorsportcom Italia, Antonio Ghini said that Sainz brings a level of professionalism that Franco Colapinto couldn’t.
READ MORE: Franco Colapinto names the one moment at Williams that still ‘hurts’ him the most
“[He brings] Value to professionalism which does not mean that the others are not professionals,” he said. “Let’s not talk [about] Colapinto – [who] was thrown there and then did bad and good all at the same time.
“They rewarded a professional [Sainz] who presents himself and approaches so seriously – for a team, it is certainly reassuring.
“I’m sure he won’t need to insist too much on improving the pit stops. That they themselves will realise that when you have a driver like that, you can’t lose anything anywhere.”
Why Carlos Sainz was Williams’ better option compared to Franco Colapinto
At the age of 22 and with just nine Formula 1 races under his belt, Colapinto has far less experience than Sainz.
At the bottom of the field, it matters a whole lot for a team which has invested heavily in its future to catch up with the rest of the field.
READ MORE: New £59.8bn Carlos Sainz sponsors could help Williams pay potential F1 cost cap fine in 2025
Sainz was one of seven drivers to win multiple times in 2024, so he knows what it takes to coax a winning car to the finish – something which Colapinto struggled to prove even in Formula 2.
Team boss James Vowles said Colapinto has had an impact on Williams’ 2025 plans after he made a lot of errors towards the end of his season.
Crash damage is another thing that Sainz will be able to avoid, leaving extra room for his new team to develop the car and find extra pace.
Overall, the four-time race winner brings a whole lot more to the table than Colapinto and should be able to help elevate Williams to a new level.
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