Carlos Sainz’s transfer from Ferrari to Williams for the 2025 System 1 season could initially look like a serious step down, particularly given the high-performance standing of the Scuderia’s title-challenging automobile. On paper, the shift to a staff that has lengthy struggled behind the grid could possibly be seen as a downgrade. Nevertheless, Ted Kravitz believes that Williams will make important progress with Carlos Sainz on board, suggesting that the staff gained’t be languishing among the many backmarkers for lengthy with the Spaniard’s arrival. Though Ferrari selected to exchange him with the game’s seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz’s energy on observe, notably compared to Hamilton, is obvious.
Nevertheless, along with his transfer to Williams, Carlos Sainz will now face Alex Albon as a teammate, relatively than his earlier Ferrari counterpart Charles Leclerc. This alteration could possibly be seen as a barely much less difficult prospect for the 29-year-old, giving him a special dynamic in his battles on observe.
That stated, David Croft has identified that Williams’ aspirations for 2025 have already been impacted by the crash harm that affected their funds on the tail finish of this season, doubtlessly complicating issues for each Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon as they put together for the upcoming marketing campaign.
However, Guenther Steiner has praised the Spaniard’s signing as an enormous step ahead for Williams, referring to it as akin to profitable the “lottery.” For a staff that has spent years struggling in the direction of the again, the acquisition of a driver of Carlos Sainz’s caliber is a game-changer, not only for the current but in addition for the long-term future.
Williams has outlined its imaginative and prescient of returning to the entrance of the grid within the coming seasons, and Carlos Sainz’s intensive expertise in combating on the prime shall be a important asset in serving to them attain that purpose. His insights and experience in automobile improvement will present Williams with a definite benefit over different midfield rivals. Steiner emphasised that Sainz’s contribution might play a vital position in shaping Williams’ future success, making his arrival a pivotal second for the staff.
“Williams actually bought a profitable lottery ticket with Carlos now within the staff as a result of he will certainly work arduous to carry the staff ahead,” he stated – “To make the staff [better] or not, I can’t say that, I don’t know precisely what’s occurring at Williams. However, as a employee and somebody who additionally has the expertise of a great staff, you at all times need to do not forget that Carlos was at Purple Bull and Ferrari. That’s it, already expertise from large groups which you can assist in a staff like Williams.” – the previous Haas staff boss identified.
What can Williams count on from the 2025 F1 season with Carlos Sainz?
James Vowles has acknowledged that Carlos Sainz’s arrival at Williams will affect their focus for the 2025 season, as they goal to push the bounds of their automobile improvement efforts. Whereas the staff hopes to be aggressive subsequent 12 months, their true precedence lies in making ready for the 2026 season, which is able to carry new technical rules.
Although it could be overly optimistic to count on Williams to problem for a championship in 2026, the transformation of Brawn GP serves as a strong reminder of how a serious rule change can disrupt the established order.
Brawn GP, beforehand referred to as Honda in 2008, entered the season after being bought for simply £1, developed the quickest automobile, and ended up profitable each the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships of their solely season. This exceptional turnaround is a cautionary story for Williams’ rivals, illustrating that if the staff dedicates its full sources to the 2026 season, they may obtain an identical stage of success.