Carlos Sainz leads F1 standings in testing but is unsatisfied: “I don’t think these tests were enough”. Carlos Sainz is unhappy with the limited time available to properly prepare for the new F1 season.

Carlos Sainz fastest on day 2 of F1 testing in Bahrain
There could have been a much worse way for Carlos Sainz to wrap up pre-season testing before packing up, preparing his luggage, and shipping everything off to Melbourne. The Spanish driver for Williams repeated the fastest time he had already set on day 2 of the 2024 tests, but this time not at the wheel of a Ferrari. In fact, he left behind both the Red cars of his successor Lewis Hamilton and former teammate Charles Leclerc, albeit by narrow margins.

Regardless of the results, which mean little in a day of winter testing, what matters is that Carlos Sainz managed to complete a significant number of laps—127 to be precise—without issues, thus concluding his F1 testing in Bahrain, as tomorrow only Alex Albon will be driving the FW47. “It was a very long day here in Bahrain, as we covered many laps. Some interruptions due to rain and wind weren’t ideal for maintaining a high pace, but overall, we managed to complete a good program.”

Williams’ work plan
Unlike top-team drivers such as Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz did not complete a full race simulation. Instead, Williams engineers preferred to focus on long runs with heavy fuel loads, interrupted by brief garage stops to test some setup changes.

“Even though lap times in testing aren’t fully representative,” Carlos Sainz added, “we have made progress compared to yesterday, improving the balance and overall feel of the car. However, to be honest, I don’t feel like these tests were enough. The next stop is Australia, and I would have liked more time to better understand the car and how it reacts to different setup changes. That said, I feel as ready as possible and can’t wait to push to the limit from the very first race.” – the former Ferrari driver concluded.