Williams enter the 2025 Formula 1 season in a much stronger situation than they were in 12 months ago.
Team principal James Vowles is confident enough in the FW47 – this season’s car – that Williams put on a public event at Silverstone to showcase their latest machine ahead of Tuesday’s F1 75 livery launch.
That’s in contrast to the beginning of the 2024 F1 season when Williams turned up to pre-season testing with an overweight car that broke down at one point.
Alex Albon gave a vaguely positive verdict on last year’s Williams, but ultimately, they struggled compared to many of their rivals throughout the season.
Albon didn’t score the team’s first point until the Monaco Grand Prix and Williams had faced their fair share of hardship up to that point.
Logan Sargeant had to sit out of the Australian Grand Prix due to the team not having a spare chassis, before immediately crashing in practice at the following race in Japan.
Williams did make progress away from the track and were on course to finish eighth in the constructors’ championship before Alpine’s unbelievable double-podium finish in Sao Paulo.
By the time the season ended, Williams had a decent car and a brand new driver in Carlos Sainz to test it.
A report from The Race has shared more details about the Spaniard’s feedback up to this point and why Vowles will be so pleased with it.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz provide ‘identical’ feedback during Williams testing
Sainz said an emotional goodbye to Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, but just hours later, was preparing for life as a Williams driver.
Williams had organised a filming day in their 2024 car for the Spaniard before he took part in a Pirelli tyre test during the one day of post-season testing in the UAE.
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The report from The Race suggests that Williams immediately took some ‘encouragement’ from the fact that Sainz’s feedback on the FW46 was ‘identical’ to what Albon had previously told the team.
The nature of that day of testing meant that Albon wasn’t allowed to be present as Williams had to give a rookie – in this case Luke Browning – the second car.
Sainz and Albon finding the same strengths and weaknesses with Williams’ previous car suggest that if the team listened to the Thai driver’s feedback last year to build their 2025 car, it should suit their new driver as well.
Vowles has refused to rule out Williams scoring podiums this year, although 2026 is when the whole team believe they’ll be back to where they feel they belong.
Alex Albon gives his verdict on Carlos Sainz’s arrival at Williams
Albon has spent the last few seasons as Williams’ lead driver, partnering with the likes of Nicholas Latifi, Sergeant and finally Franco Colapinto.
Sainz will be his most testing teammate since being partnered with Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Asked about the approach he’s taken to the 30-year-old’s arrival, he said: “I see it more of an opportunity that Carlos is a very proven driver.
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“He’s just come off one of his best years in F1, so I’m confident in myself and I’m excited to have a great team-mate who I can learn from.
“I hope I can bring something to him as well. In the end, the direction of the team [must be] to go forwards in the future.
“I think we’re going to work pretty well together. Just from what we’ve spoken about and what we like about the car is quite similar.”
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