Sainz sees 2025 results as vindication for Williams gamble
Carlos Sainz says Williams' strong 2025 season, which yielded fifth in the constructors' standings and two podiums for him, fully justifies his decision to join the team. He credits Team Principal James Vowles' honest assessment of the project's strengths and weaknesses for his smooth transition, while acknowledging the work still needed to bridge gaps in processes and tools ahead of F1's 2026 regulation changes.
Carlos Sainz’s decision to join Williams for 2025, once viewed by many as a sideways or even backward move, has been emphatically justified by the team's fifth-place finish in the Constructors' Championship and his own pair of podium finishes. The Spaniard now feels the results serve as tangible proof that his belief in the Grove-based team's project was well-founded.
Why it matters:
Sainz’s successful season validates a high-stakes career move and signals a genuine resurgence for Williams, a historic team that has spent recent years mired in the midfield or lower. His performance demonstrates that top-tier drivers can achieve significant results with Williams, potentially altering the team's appeal in the driver market and boosting morale for the massive 2026 regulation overhaul.
The details:
- Exceeding Expectations: Sainz admitted that if told at the season's start that Williams would finish fifth with multiple podiums, he "would have taken it," calling it a "good year overall."
- Leadership Honesty: A key factor in his adaptation was the transparent approach of Team Principal James Vowles, who honestly outlined both the team's potential and its significant flaws before Sainz joined.
- A Team of Contrasts: Sainz found a squad with "incredibly talented people" and good ideas in some areas, but severely lacking in others like processes, tools, and simulation capabilities.
- No Nasty Surprises: Because management was upfront about weaknesses, Sainz experienced no unexpected shocks, allowing him to focus on contributing to solutions.
Looking ahead:
While buoyed by 2025's progress, Sainz remains grounded about the challenge posed by F1's next regulatory reset in 2026.
- He emphasizes the need to continue the team's "upward trajectory" and not stall the progress shown this year.
- He acknowledges that the new regulations will create unpredictability, making it impossible to know where any team will stack up.
- Despite the uncertainty, he expresses trust in the team's efforts and development work on the 2026 car, heading into the new era with cautious confidence.