Carlos Sainz and his drive to restore Williams to glory
It was clear from his Ferrari days that Carlos Sainz Jr. is a direct and straightforward character. On and off the track, he speaks his mind, as seen in his clashes with Charles Leclerc in 2024, when Sainz, aware he would no longer race in red in 2025, did not hold back against his teammate whenever the opportunity arose. Recently, Carlos Sainz reflected on his career with the clarity and insight of a seasoned champion. “I think leaving McLaren was the right thing to do at the right time,” the Madrid-born driver stated. “And the only feeling I have is happiness for the team. I’m genuinely happy for them. I have no regrets.”
Despite McLaren’s significant progress, Sainz admitted that he does not regret his decisions and candidly acknowledged that he could never have won the title over Lando Norris last year. “And let me explain why not,” he added, “because first of all, in 2021 at Ferrari I scored the first podiums of my career, in 2022 I won my first races, and in 2023, while still winning with Ferrari, McLaren was nearly last in Bahrain qualifying. At the time, I would have thought: ‘I’m winning races with Ferrari.’”
Sainz praises Lando Norris’ speed
His reasoning is clear, and it was also difficult to predict that the British team would accelerate so quickly to find itself at the top of the grid in such a short time. Carlos Sainz went further, providing a candid assessment of Lando Norris’ qualities, which have often been overshadowed by circumstances. “Lando has always been fast from the day he became an F1 driver,” the Spaniard explained. “I just think he has become a bit more complete over the past six years and has matured into a world championship-level profile. And he confirmed that in 2025 with a very solid second half of the season.”
Is the 2019 McLaren similar to the 2025 Williams?
Looking now at his current team, Carlos Sainz continued his thoughtful analysis, drawing a comparison that is far from trivial. “I think every team and journey is completely different,” he said, “but the phase I believe Williams is in for 2025 reminds me a lot of the journey McLaren was on in 2019 and 2020.” He added, “I don’t know how long it will take Williams compared to McLaren, and in any case, what McLaren achieved by ultimately becoming World Champions is an extremely difficult feat. Even if Williams becomes more competitive in the next few years, winning is an even greater challenge. So congratulations to McLaren for that. But yes, I would say Williams is in a position similar to where McLaren was in 2019.”
Joining Williams to win together
Williams is undoubtedly one of the historic teams that evokes memories of past triumphs and iconic cars among F1 fans. Supporters dream of seeing it return to greatness and, most importantly, to victory. This ambition is a key reason why Carlos Sainz chose to race for the British team. For him, this is even “a life project, because now I’m 31 years old and I feel I can face the coming years of my career with a very clear objective in mind: to help this team and return it to the front positions.”
Carlos Sainz is therefore approaching his tenure at Williams with the same analytical precision he applied to his time at Maranello. By viewing the team’s current rebuilding phase through the lens of his successful stint at McLaren, the Spaniard is positioning himself as the central pillar of a long-term recovery. Based on the content of his career reflections, the Spanish driver isn’t looking for a quick fix, but rather a legacy-defining transformation of one of F1’s most storied names.
Leave a Reply