Carlos Sainz made his Williams F1 debut, completing the FW47’s first laps at Silverstone, marking a promising start for the 2025 season.
Carlos Sainz makes his Williams F1 debut with first FW47 run at Silverstone
Carlos Sainz began his season with Williams F1, becoming the first to drive the FW47 at Silverstone this morning before Alex Albon took over in the afternoon. He first reflected on his winter, which felt particularly short.
“When you change teams, the break is even shorter because you have to get back to work earlier. There’s a lot to catch up on, and I’ve spent a lot of time here in the UK working with my new team,” Sainz explained.
“I struggle to relax because I’m a bit hyperactive when it comes to sports. This winter, I spent a few days in the Maldives, where there’s nothing but beaches and the sea, and after two days, I told myself I had to get back to training—relaxing in the sun just isn’t for me!”
The Spanish driver was pleased to have shaken down the car after his first laps on track: “Not ideal with wet tires on a dry track! But I can say everything went well. The first lap of a newly born car is always tricky, but it all went smoothly.”
“I first need to provide technical feedback on what can be improved and what I feel in the cockpit. Then we’ll switch to slick tires and start pushing, step by step.”
Albon proud to be one of the first “to believe in the project”
Alex Albon was naturally present at the FW47 launch, officially kicking off Williams F1’s 2025 season. Now entering his fourth year with the Grove-based team, he is pleased to have placed his trust in a structure that is now investing at the level he had anticipated.
“The break felt shorter than usual because we finished the season later, and there was only a week before we got back to training,” said the Thai driver, who is pleased with his team’s progress.
“To be honest, we’ve felt this coming for a while. I joined the team fairly early in this process, and it’s reassuring to see that everyone believes in this journey we’re on—and that I was one of the first to believe in it. With Carlos coming in and Atlassian joining, there’s real momentum in the team, and you can feel it.”
Albon still considers himself privileged to live the life of a driver, especially at Williams: “I’m living my dream—I’ve wanted to do this since I was four years old. I love being in the car, and I’ll cherish every moment behind the wheel this afternoon, but I’m also happy to work with everyone here and in Grove, and I’m proud to be part of this family.”
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Williams’ FW47 Debuts at Silverstone with Sainz at the Wheel Williams’ FW47 Debuts at Silverstone with Sainz at the Wheel
