Carlos Sainz has officially started work as a Williams driver after leaving Ferrari. The F1 class of 2025 is trickling back into action after the winter break.
Indeed, Kimi Antonelli – who denied Sainz a Mercedes seat – has been testing in Jerez this week. Former F2 teammate Oliver Bearman, who will make a full-time debut for Haas this year, joined him at the circuit to regain his sharpness.
Sainz reported to Williams’ Grove factory for the first time on Wednesday. He’s already had the chance to drive their 2024 car.
The Spaniard took to the track in Abu Dhabi a day after the season-ending Grand Prix to carry out an initial filming day. And he was also in action at the post-season test a day later.
Williams will hold a 2025 launch event at Silverstone on Valentine’s Day, shortly before the F175 ceremony in London. They’ll wait before they reveal their new livery.
But Sainz might have the chance to carry out a shakedown in the FW47 – the logical name for the new car – before he heads to Bahrain for the pre-season test. Williams were a big winner of the driver market, landing a four-time race-winner to lead their resurgence.
Williams engineers are starting to recognise that Carlos Sainz could be a gamechanger
Counting his two runs in Abu Dhabi, Wednesday was only Sainz’s third day among his new colleagues. But he’s already made an impression.
According to Italian outlet AutoRacer, his talents were evident within a few laps. Sainz set the second-fastest time in the Abu Dhabi test, only behind former Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Williams engineers have described Sainz’s arrival as ‘a blessing’. In addition to his on-track abilities, he should be able to guide their development.
This could be particularly beneficial ahead of the 2026 regulation changes. James Vowles has repeatedly stated that he’s ready to make sacrifices this year to prioritise F1’s new era.
What Carlos Sainz said in the garage after his first Williams test
The early signs suggest there will be harmony in the garage. Albon welcomed Sainz to Williams on social media on Wednesday as he prepares for his biggest test – by far – since leaving Red Bull.
There already appears to be mutual respect. When his mistake took both drivers out of last year’s Canadian GP, Sainz publicly apologised to Albon – a gesture the Thai racer may appreciate.
Still, Albon will be wary of having his voice heard in the team’s meetings. There could naturally be greater attention on Sainz given what he’s achieved in F1.
Speaking in the garage in Abu Dhabi, Sainz offered impressively detailed technical feedback. While broadly ‘happy’, he felt more performance could be unlocked with greater ‘finetuning’ – the task for most of the teams as they reach the limits of the ground-effect concept.
Leave feedback about this