Carlos Sainz told he made a big mistake by rejecting 27-podium F1 team with more ‘clout’ than Williams

Carlos Sainz will trade red for blue in 2025 as he departs Ferrari and moves down the pit lane to Williams.

The Spaniard knew he would be leaving the famous Maranello outfit before he had even stepped into the SF-24 when it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be taking his place alongside Charles Leclerc.

Knowing his four-year stint at Ferrari would be over at the end of the year, Sainz went out on a high note as he finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship – two points behind Oscar Piastri in fourth – with two wins and nine podiums.

Finishing second in his final race with Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sainz waved goodbye to F1’s most successful team to join another legendary name in Williams.

Charles Leclerc dedicated his final radio message to Sainz in Abu Dhabi as the duo part ways after four great years together on and off the track. Leclerc joined Sainz on the podium after he climbed from 19th to an incredible third.

The signing of Sainz is a huge coup for Williams to go alongside Alex Albon. But Ted Kravitz has said Williams must step up when the Spaniard arrives, as he joins the team with more pedigree and experience than the likes of Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto.

Tom Coronel thinks Carlos Sainz should have joined Audi who have ‘more clout’ over Williams

While the 30-year-old did not have many options for teams to join in 2025, many people have questioned why Sainz is moving to Williams. given that the team finished ninth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 and do not look like competing for podiums anytime soon.

But Sainz says Williams is ‘100%’ not a step down from Ferrari, simply because he will stay in F1 and that he has a good feeling about the future. Dutch pundit Tom Coronel thinks results matter more than feeling as he referenced the amount of work Williams have to do to reach the heights they once achieved.

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For Coronel, Sainz made a mistake in not joining Sauber. The Swiss outfit – who have scored 27 podiums in the sport since 1993 – will become Audi in 2026, and he thinks the German manufacturer will ‘grow faster’ than Williams.

“I was surprised that he went for Williams, of course there weren’t many choices. But Williams is a team after all which still has a lot to do,” said Coronel via the RacingNews365 YouTube channel.

“And I mean it too. At the factory itself, I’m not just talking about pure development of the car but I’m talking about the products they have to make it, it is quite outdated.

“So that is a difficulty and that possibly takes a lot of time and I don’t know if he, whether he really felt that. He did rely on his emotions a bit and says I just have a good feeling about the future.

“At the end of the day, I say it’s not about feeling it’s just about results. And if you say something like that then, I think, why didn’t you go to Sauber? Because that’s where Audi is behind it.

“And at Audi, there’s just more clout, that’s just how it is. Williams is more [of a] legacy, history name. Audi should be able to grow faster than Williams.”

How did Carlos Sainz get on in his first outing with Williams in Abu Dhabi?

Sainz got his first taste of Williams machinery in Abu Dhabi during the post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Sainz ran in plain white racing overalls as he is still under contract with Ferrari until the end of the year. The Spaniard will be able to sport the Williams colours and sponsors come 2025.

Timings are nothing to go by at this stage, but Sainz was second-fastest in the Abu Dhabi test behind Leclerc, with Russell locking out the top three.

This first outing will put the 30-year-old in good stead for his winter preparations ahead of the 2025 season. Sainz is motivated by having the full backing of the team behind him and Albon as they look to get Williams back to the front of the field.