Williams team principal James Vowles will be well aware of the coup he’s managed to secure by signing Carlos Sainz for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Every other team on the grid aside from Racing Bulls and Sauber has a race winner driving for them in 2025 and while Alex Albon is extremely competent, Carlos Sainz is arguably Williams’ strongest driver since Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas.
However, having a strong driver line-up doesn’t guarantee success in Formula 1.
Given Williams finished ninth in the constructors’ championship in 2024, Sainz and Albon may have their work cut out this year if they want to regularly challenge for points.
Sainz said an emotional goodbye to Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but had no time to rest before his Williams career began.
The day after the 2024 season finished, Sainz was taking part in a filming day for Williams and just 24 hours later, the Spaniard took part in a tyre test with F2 star Luke Browning in the car opposite him.
Sainz’s times were impressive during the post-season test and in an interview with Vowles on Williams’ YouTube channel, he explained what left him particularly impressed after his first days with the team.
Carlos Sainz ‘most impressed’ by Williams team work ethic during F1 post-season test
Sainz was asked about his first impressions working with the team in Abu Dhabi and said: “First impressions? Honestly, very positive.
“I think we had a very productive two days of tests, also thanks to everyone who made that possible, also the filming day on Monday helped a lot to make sure that on Tuesday we were straight into work.
“I think this was something that I really appreciated because it meant I could use that full Abu Dhabi tyre test to my advantage and to our advantage.
READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties
“I think the thing that I was most impressed about if I’m honest with you is just how motivated everyone was even at the end of the year when we all know that you went through a tough last few races, a lot of hard work here at the factory, a lot of hard work at the track to get the two cars to keep going after such a bad run of crashes.
“And I found people who were really enthusiastic and very motivated to work over those two days.
“It’s not easy because, in the Abu Dhabi test, everyone is after a triple header, very low on energy.
“I’ve done that test with other teams and I know how tired everyone gets at the end of the season at that stage and I saw smiling faces everywhere.”
Sainz also explained that people were still wanting to ‘participate and collaborate’ with him throughout the day, something he admits left him ‘extremely impressed’.
Not only that, he thought it was the ‘perfect’ way to go into the winter break knowing that the entire team were working ‘flat out’ to succeed in 2025 and beyond.
Carlos Sainz has already impressed Williams engineers ahead of 2025 F1 season
Sainz will have his work cut out if he plans to repeat his immense victory at the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix this year.
However, Williams have the opportunity to make significant progress over the coming months, with the cost cap reset and a pair of drivers who should keep their cars out of the wall more often than Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto.
Williams engineers have already been left impressed by Sainz and his experience at Ferrari and other top teams should help his new outfit take important strides forward before the sport’s new regulations are introduced in 2026.
READ MORE: Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height
For Sainz, he’ll know how important it is to buy into the long-term project at Williams over the coming years.
However, if they don’t live up to his expectations, then making sure he’s still the standout driver in F1’s midfield may end up keeping his options open if an opportunity arises elsewhere.
Leave feedback about this