Declaring “it’s official” as he picked up his Williams ID badge, Carlos Sainz has reportedly admitted behind the scenes that it will be a “difficult” first season but he’s “eager” to get started.

Last year Sainz was informed even before the first race of the championship that his services were no longer required by Ferrari, the Scuderia signing Lewis Hamilton in his stead.

It’s ‘Thai Sweet Chilli’ at Williams in F1 2025

After months of debate and negotiations, which included conversations with Mercedes and Red Bull, Sainz signed with Williams.

It marks a notable change in form for the four-time Grand Prix winner who goes from racing for the second-best team in the F1 2024 championship to the second-worst.

Although Williams had a bumper season in 2023 when they finished seventh on the log, in 2024 they scrambled to avoid the wooden spoon and did so based in part on the ineptness of Sauber.

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It was the sixth time in seven seasons that the team finished in the bottom three places on the Constructors’ log.

But as Sainz marked his first official day as a Williams driver earlier this week, declaring “it’s official” as he badged into Williams’ Grove headquarters with his team ID, his father Carlos Sainz Snr. insists his son is up for the challenge.

“There are drivers who peak quickly, show everything and then stagnate or fall back. Carlos continues to improve every year,” Sainz Snr said in an interview with El Cafelito.

“It will be a difficult year at Williams. They finished second to last in the championship, but he is full of enthusiasm and is very eager to get started.”

Sainz said as much last July when he confirmed his multi-year Williams contract.

“I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport,” he said.

“The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.”

But securing his future did little to take the sting out of Ferrari’s snub according to his father.

“He had a hard time processing the news from Ferrari,” said the rally champion. “Then he also had to process that, due to various circumstances, Mercedes and Red Bull did not open doors for him.

“And when that was all over, he decided to go to Williams. I see him starting the season very motivated and full of energy.”

Meanwhile, Sainz has been welcomed by his new Williams team-mate Alex Albon who posted a photograph of the two together on social media.

He captioned it: “Thai Sweet Chilli”

And who wouldn’t want that!

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