Carlos Sainz was in for a surprise—his new Williams F1 car performed better than he had anticipated, raising hopes for 2025.
His path to Williams wasn’t exactly smooth. When Ferrari chose Lewis Hamilton to replace him, Sainz was left without a top seat, with Mercedes and Red Bull also passing on him. That left him choosing between midfield squads Alpine and Williams—a move some, including Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore, saw as a “mistake.”
But if the Bahrain pre-season test was anything to go by, Sainz seems to have made the right call. The four-time Grand Prix winner topped the timesheets, proving that Williams might have more pace than expected.
“Pre-season times don’t always reflect the true pecking order,” Sainz admitted. “But if a car has a bad platform, you can’t just set a fast lap by running light on fuel. The fact that we managed to be quickest shows real progress from last year.”
That said, he’s not expecting an easy ride.
“It’s a better car and a better team than I expected, but of course, it’s not a Ferrari.”
“We were quick, and I adapted fast—that put a smile on my face.”
His optimism is shared by team boss James Vowles. Just weeks ago, Vowles warned that even scoring regular points would be a challenge for Williams in 2025. But now, his expectations have shifted.
“It’s hard to predict positions, but the key is having the car in the points consistently. We’re not just chasing one-off results. Our goal is to build processes and development that will pay off in the long run—that’s how you fight for world championships.”
Sainz sees that vision coming to life.
“We’re in a phase of real change, and it’s bringing positive energy. Sponsors are joining, engineers want to be part of this, and the team has a clear vision for returning to the top. Williams is serious about this.”
A bold statement? Maybe. But after Bahrain, it’s hard to ignore Williams anymore.
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Williams: The Unexpected Contender? Sainz Feels Right at Home f1 2025 . F1 Williams: The Unexpected Contender? Sainz Feels Right at Home. formula 1 Williams: The Unexpected Contender? Sainz Feels Right at Home
