Carlos Sainz has offered his assessment of new Williams team-mate Alex Albon ahead of their partnership at Williams, rating him as a “really good racing driver, but also a great human.”

Williams team principal James Vowles has spoken confidently in his belief that Sainz and Albon will make up one of, if not the strongest driver line-up on the grid in 2025, as the Spaniard makes the move from Ferrari.

Carlos Sainz: Alex Albon ‘a really good racing driver and great human’

Sainz and Albon have not driven as team-mates before, but Sainz has already leaned on some of those to have driven alongside the current Williams driver in the past to get to grips with how quick he is, with Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and George Russell all believing him to be underestimated, according to Sainz.

With Sainz looking to help Williams on their mission to become a front-running team in Formula 1 once again, he believes he and Albon are the right two drivers to be able to do it.

“I don’t only rate him as a really good racing driver, but also as a great human,” Sainz said of Albon on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I think if you ask the other 19 drivers in the grid, ‘who do you think is one of the genuine good guys in the grid?’ I think they would all say Alex.

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“I’ve never been team-mates with Alex, I’ve never seen his data, but I’ve obviously asked Lando, Charles and George that have raced with Alex, and they all say people don’t know how fast Alex is.

“Everyone is telling me he’s genuinely a really, really good driver, super talented and super fast. They’ve all raced against him.

“Me, I think only one year of karting, but I don’t remember much. I think it’s a good cocktail of things, just a good human being and a great racing driver that I’m looking forward to working with.

“I think what Williams needs right now is two guys like Alex and me pushing flat out to make that process and make that journey as short as possible, to bring Williams back to where they deserve to be.”

When asked about Vowles’ assertion that his driver duo will be among the best in the field this season, Sainz was quick to point out that the pairing of Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will be one to watch.

Despite that, he thinks as a pairing, his own will be right up there too.

“I think it’s a great statement by James,” he stated.

“I wouldn’t obviously disrespect Charles and Lewis as team-mates, but apart from them, I think Williams has – obviously, I’m biased – but a very strong line-up.”

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