F1 fans are all using the same word in Carlos Sainz posts after superb Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Carlos Sainz was one of the stars of qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday. He will begin the race from an eye-catching P6.

Sainz had struggled in the Sprint sessions but took the opportunity to refresh his weekend. After an SQ2 exit, he retired from the race with damage.

But the Spaniard repaid his Williams mechanics for quickly repairing the car with a world-class 1:26.569 lap. That was only three-tenths off Max Verstappen’s pole time.

He was just ahead of Alex Albon, who took P7 on a magnificent day for Williams. Sainz has come alive after a tricky start and is starting to show the full potential of a much-improved FW47.

The 30-year-old only reached Q3 in one of the first four sessions, but has now made it three times in a row. P8 last time out in Saudi Arabia was his best Grand Prix result of the year too.

Miami Grand Prix star Carlos Sainz told he’s made an ‘upgrade’ after leaving Ferrari for Williams

Sainz has shown no sign of bitterness after losing his Ferrari seat last year. But his fans will surely be satisfied to see him ahead of both Scuderia cars.

As the table below shows, Sainz has now outqualified replacement Lewis Hamilton at three consecutive events. That’s an indictment of Ferrari and the seven-time world champion, but a glowing reflection of Williams.

Sainz also managed to beat his former teammate Charles Leclerc at the Miami Grand Prix, with the Monegasque only eighth. This prompted multiple F1 fans on social media to half-jokingly suggest he’d made a step-up.

“Wait a minute!” one wrote. “So Sainz moving to Williams was actually an upgrade.”

“Sainz just had an upgrade by switching to Williams,” a separate post read.

“Who would’ve thought ahead of this season that Sainz moving from Ferrari to Williams would be an upgrade?” another asked.

“Turns out Sainz’s move was an upgrade,” F1 YouTuber Tom Bellingham said.

A member of the Tifosi even acknowledged: “Sainz upgraded by leaving Ferrari, I’m punching the walls in anger.”

And one final user said: “Sainz got an upgrade by changing teams.”

Damon Hill has noticed something different in Alex Albon since Carlos Sainz joined

Williams have already halted development for 2025 as they prioritise the upcoming regulation changes. Sainz and Albon may need to make the most of the early races.

Their midfield rivals may follow suit, ensuring there isn’t a major drop-off in results. However, with the top teams likely to introduce the most upgrades, their capacity for upsets may be diminished.

Team principal James Vowles boasted about the strength of his driver line-up last year. And F1 fans said Williams had a better line-up than Mercedes in a winter poll.

Damon Hill thinks Sainz has made Albon better this season. He’s previously partnered inconsistent rookies in Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto.