Carlos Sainz starts again from the back
McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams. In Formula 1 history, Carlos Sainz is only the fourth driver to race for all three of these historic teams, joining legends such as Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Jacky Ickx. The Spaniard, who was dropped by Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season to make way for Lewis Hamilton, has made a surprising decision to restart with a team that finished only ninth in last year’s Constructors’ standings.
However, the Madrid-born driver is looking more to the future than the present, aiming to be in the right place at the right time. The regulatory changes coming in 2026 provide an opportunity for all teams to climb up the grid quickly. “I was very focused on which team would be the fastest in 2025. Who was generating more downforce? Who was discovering things that would make them quicker? In the end, I realized my decision had to be based on two things: the project and the people,” Carlos Sainz explained in a behind-the-scenes interview published by Williams.
A decision based on instinct
“When I started discussing things in more detail with James [Vowles, Williams’ team principal], I realized he had put together a very strong project.” Carlos Sainz has an interesting track record: he has always left teams in a better position in the Constructors’ standings than when he arrived. Perhaps the most significant example is McLaren, which continued to progress even after his departure, eventually winning its latest world title.
“I remember that when I left McLaren, I truly believed they had great people and that the team could become world champions in the future,” Carlos Sainz recalled. “Last year, McLaren actually won the championship, and I thought to myself, ‘Okay, I need to trust my instincts.’ I know that Williams has a good project: they have support and talented people. In the end, this combination of factors convinced me to believe in Williams,” he concluded.
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