After being dropped by Scuderia Ferrari in favor of Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz became a central figure in the driver market until he signed a contract with Williams for the next Formula 1 season. Initially, the Spaniard, a fast and reliable driver, was linked with both Red Bull and Mercedes. Surprisingly, the Spaniard signed a two-year deal with an option to renew under James Vowles at Williams.
In this final season with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz claimed a victory in the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit and four other podium finishes. He is currently fifth in the drivers’ standings with 190 points, and Ferrari remains in contention for the constructors’ championship against Red Bull and McLaren.
The situation at Williams doesn’t seem much different from recent seasons, though there have been notable improvements in the second half of the races so far. In Baku, Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon managed to secure 10 of the 16 points the British team currently has in the constructors’ standings.
For Carlos Sainz, it will be a return to his earlier days when, before joining Ferrari, he often found himself fighting for points, especially with Toro Rosso and Renault. “It’s something I’ll have to readjust to,” he told the Spanish newspaper AS. “But it’s a position I’ve been in for seven of my ten years in this career, fighting for points rather than victories.” – he pointed out.
“This is the life of a Formula 1 driver. You can ask many other drivers who have found themselves in this situation. Nothing guarantees you’ll fight for victories, so you have to enjoy the opportunities—not just in terms of results but mentally, because you’re fortunate to be one of the top 20 drivers in the world and one of the few who can win races.”
Carlos Sainz wants to see progress at Williams, and if that happens, a contract extension beyond 2026 isn’t out of the question. “My next step is with Williams. We have to try to do something similar to what I did with Ferrari and McLaren,” he said, recalling that his first season with Ferrari in 2021 was a transitional year for the team.
“I want to help the team move forward. I have the experience and energy, being still young, to help them progress. I’ve been good at this in the past, and this is the next goal. If Williams is fighting for the top ten, we need to make sure we’re consistently in the points over the next two seasons. If those years go well and I see we’re heading in the right direction, I’d be willing to bet on them for the future.” – the current Ferrari driver concluded.
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