Carlos Sainz is about to start his 11th Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix. Williams will become the fifth team he’s represented in that time.
Since Sainz made his debut in 2015, no driver has made more transfers. He began with Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso but jumped ship to Renault when it became clear that they wouldn’t promote him alongside Max Verstappen.
His brief stint with the French manufacturer preceded two more memorable years at McLaren next to Lando Norris. Ferrari then snapped him up as their successor to Sebastian Vettel.
| RANK | DRIVER | TRANSFERS |
| 1 | Carlos Sainz | 4 |
| 2 | Esteban Ocon | 3 |
| =3 | Pierre Gasly | 2 |
| =3 | Nico Hulkenberg | 2 |
Sainz won his first Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2022 and added three more victories in scarlet red. Ferrari released him at the end of last year following their move for Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes and Red Bull both overlooked the Spaniard despite having vacancies for 2025. That left him choosing between midfield teams, and he went with Williams, who ultimately finished ninth.
Sainz signed an initial two-year deal at Williams, giving him the option to leave at the end of 2026 if they fall short of his expectations. He partners Alex Albon, another former Red Bull talent.
James Vowles and Williams ‘listen’ to Carlos Sainz more than his previous teams
Speaking on the After Lap Podcast, Carlos Sainz Sr said his son was full of motivation for the 2025 season despite dropping down the grid. Williams too have been energised by his arrival.
Sainz has struck up an early rapport with team principal James Vowles, who has grand ambitions for the team. Williams haven’t won a race since 2012 but former Mercedes strategist Vowles is confident they can end that drought following the regulation changes.
While he clarified that his son hadn’t been ignored by past employers, Sainz Sr said Williams are more intent listeners. They place a greater weight on the 30-year-old’s feedback.
He drove their car for the first time in December following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Though 2025 development was virtually complete at that point, they can build his preferences into their development direction.
“I see him very motivated, eager, excited,” Sainz Sr said. “The team is also motivated. He arrives at a place where they listen to him.
“I’m not saying they don’t listen to him elsewhere, but what happens is that sometimes they hear it without a loudspeaker. Other times, they hear it with more loudspeakers.
“He feels very comfortable with James Vowles, the team principal. He has found a super motivated team that listens to him, with whom he works comfortably.”
James Vowles has set Carlos Sainz a position target for the Australian Grand Prix
Williams are ‘really nervous’ ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, one journalist says. They attracted some unforeseen attention during F1 testing after Sainz topped the timesheets.
Rivals Alpine believe Williams wanted to impress their sponsors, so they emptied their fuel tanks to give a misleading impression of their pace. Still, the consensus is that they are battling for fifth place in the pecking order – a marked improvement from last year.
James Vowles wants Sainz to be in the top 10 in both qualifying and the race this weekend. He believes that should be a ‘commonplace’ result for Williams in 2025.
The Grove outfit scored just 17 points last term, an average of 0.71 per weekend. They only made eight Q3 appearances, with Albon responsible for seven.
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