Carlos Sainz spent most of Formula 1 pre-season testing getting used to life at his new team Williams.
Last year, Sainz was informed by Ferrari that they would not continue to renew his contract for the 2025 season with him left with little options to remain on the grid.
The Spaniard’s stock among the teams went up when he took a victory at the Australian Grand Prix just weeks after he suffered from appendicitis, which forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Sainz was later convinced by James Vowles to join Williams, after he pitched him their path towards recapturing their glory years and getting back to winning ways.
Sainz knows he will not be in contention for race wins this year, but that has not stopped him from pulling in influences to help him develop this season. According to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, a familiar face joined him in the Williams garage during pre-season testing at Bahrain.
Roberto Merhi in Carlos Sainz’s garage during F1 testing
Roberto Merhi used to race for Manor Grand Prix back in 2015 and while he only contested 14 Grands Prix after being replaced by Alex Rossi for five races, the Spaniard managed to finish ahead of teammate Will Stephens.
He was spotted in the garage at Williams helping Sainz, speaking to engineers and effectively acting as a second pair of eyes according to Kravitz.
“Also I think is interesting is the influence of Roberto Merhi. Remember he was an F1 driver in the early 2010s, didn’t have a particularly long career but knows what he’s talking about and is also a mate of Carlos Sainz’s,” said Kravitz.
“What’s interesting to me is that Merhi isn’t just standing there watching, he’s actually talking to the engineers and acting as a second pair of eyes for Carlos Sainz and understanding how the car works and team operate.”
Williams had good Bahrain test
Out of all the teams, the one which had the most productive pre-season test was Williams.
The team not only got through its run plans without any major issues, but they also showed decent pace with Sainz topping the timesheets on Day 2.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
| 1 | Carlos Sainz | 1:29.348 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:29.379 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 1:29.431 |
| 4 | George Russell | 1:29.778 |
| 5 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 1:29.784 |
Of course, it should be said that the times will vary, considering the different fuel loads that each driver will be on and engine modes.
The team seemed happy, with Sainz admitting that his first laps in the Williams were ‘really weird’ because it was a new cockpit.
