Jenson Button feels Williams have gone against the norm among the Formula 1 field by designing many new parts for their 2025 car but they should encourage Carlos Sainz.
The 2009 Formula 1 drivers’ champion does not expect most of the grid will boast largescale changes once the covers come off their new cars with this year marking the last season with the current regulations. Yet Button has already noted ‘quite a lot’ of new parts on the FW47.
Williams unleashed their new machine at the home of the British Grand Prix last Friday. Alex Albon and their new driver signing Sainz registered a combined 200km in the FW47 across a shakedown at Silverstone. It was Sainz’s first time in their 2025 car after joining from Ferrari.
Jenson Button feels Williams’ 2025 downforce upgrades will encourage Carlos Sainz
Button got a look at the FW47 after Williams retained his services as an ambassador for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The Briton is excited with what he saw of the Grove natives’ latest challenger, too, having detected many new parts despite expecting teams to sacrifice 2025.
Many teams are expected to shift their resources early on if they are not competitive given F1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulations are the biggest changes introduced for some time. It is also said that Williams have already sacrificed 2025 to focus on the 2026 F1 regulations.
Yet Williams have focused a lot on improving the downforce levels of the FW47, especially in high-speed corners and the sensitivity of their car. Button is convinced that the changes that the Grove squad have made will give Albon and Sainz more confidence to push in the FW47.
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Button said, via F1i.com: “There’s not going to be massive changes with any F1 cars in 2025. But there seem to be quite a lot of changes to the FW47, which is great to see…
“Sensitivity meaning with the downforce. It’s very easy to have a peak downforce level which is always exciting to see the number.
“But it’s the usable downforce that you really want to have. So, in corner downforce, laterally loaded downforce and entry into corners, which gives the drivers a lot of confidence.”
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz need to make Williams’ 2025 upgrades count early on
Button has even already seen the confidence the FW47 gives Sainz following his arrival from Ferrari after Williams let the Spaniard shake their new car down. He was quick to react after seeing Sainz go flat out through Silverstone’s Abbey in his first lap in Williams’ car last week.
Sainz being happy to immediately push the FW47 in the typically cold and windy conditions that greet Silverstone in February shows the benefits Button sees in Williams’ upgrades. But the Grove team will be relying on those parts carrying them if they now focus fully on 2026.
So, with team principal James Vowles thrilled Williams’ 2025 car is already at F1’s minimum weight of 798kgs, Albon and Sainz might need to make the work their designers put in over the winter count early and score big points for a strong place in the constructors’ standings.
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