Carlos Sainz has made one of the biggest career moves of his F1 career by moving to Williams, as he attempts to help them revive their prospects and return to their glory years.
After he was ousted from Ferrari this time last year because the team decided to sign Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season and beyond, Carlos Sainz had a range of options on the grid to stay in F1.
Sainz was initially rumoured to join Audi but he turned down the move, despite the ties his father Carlos Sainz Sr had to the team having competed for them in the Paris Dakar race.
It would later transpire that Williams team principal James Vowles had spoken to Sainz as early as Abu Dhabi 2023, and he effectively tried to court him to join the team. Sainz decided Williams was his best bet out of an ailing Sauber and uncertain Alpine, knowing that they would not be in any position to win races from the get-go.
As a result, Sainz is having to draw inspiration from another driver that he branded ‘special’ when speaking to Williams employees for the first time at their factory in Grove, Oxfordshire.
Carlos Sainz says he is learning a lot from his ‘special’ father
Sainz has the advantage of being able to draw experience from his highly accomplished father, Sainz Sr, who won the World Rally Championship twice in 1990 and 1992 and the Dakar rally four times.
The Spaniard says he is learning a lot about how to approach a new team from him, especially given Williams’ current position as they attempt to finish higher up the field.
“Even still at 62 now, he’s challenging for Dakar wins every year and also is still in very good form. I still keep learning a lot from him, even nowadays, I’m very lucky to have the Dad I have. The way he achieved his world championships and the way that he’s respected among all these teams is what serves me as a reference and as a benchmark for the future,” said Sainz.
“I think if you talk to a lot of these World Rally Championship teams, which back in the 90s, 2000s it was a bit like F1, and they all agreed to the same thing. He has an incredible work ethic. He pushes his team and everyone around them to the limit, but in a constructive and positive manner to get everyone together. And he’s very technical, very hard worker. He doesn’t let people rest that much, not even me.
“I think this driven approach is what makes him special. And yeah, I think it’s what made him being voted the best-ever driver in the history of the WRC because all these team principals, all these big engineers that work with him realize how good he was able to push them. I’m obviously trying to learn as much from him and get that as an advantage.”
Carlos Sainz ‘very motivated’ for 2025 after seeing Williams progress
Sainz has visited Williams factory on three occasions and is expected to return twice before pre-season testing commences in Bahrain at the end of February.
Reports from Spain suggest that Sainz is ‘very motivated’ having seen the progress of their 2025 car, which will be an evolution from their 2024 challenger.
READ MORE: Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height
Sainz took part in the Abu Dhabi post-season test and set the second-quickest time, behind his former teammate Charles Leclerc.
The Spaniard is reportedly happy with how Williams staff are approaching issues with the car which have been identified, with the team aiming to finish more regularly in the points in 2025.
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