The Sporting Director of the Williams Formula 1 Team has highlighted how Carlos Sainz’s experience is playing a pivotal role in shaping the team’s development path as it looks ahead to the major regulatory changes coming in the 2026 season.
Although the current version of the Williams Formula 1 car is not yet capable of consistently fighting for podium finishes, the progress seen this season is a direct result of the arrival of Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. The former Scuderia Ferrari driver has brought significant added value to the Grove-based team, not only on the technical side but also from a commercial standpoint.
In a recent interview with Motorsport, Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets underlined the strengths of the driver who races with car number 55 and the major influence he is already having within the team, both on and off the track.
“His experience across multiple teams and his time driving competitive, race-winning cars has brought us something we were likely missing,” Smeets stated. The transition from Ferrari’s power unit to an entirely different engine architecture has not been without its complications—a challenge that even Sainz himself has acknowledged.
Despite the hurdles, Smeets remains optimistic about the remainder of the 2025 Formula 1 season. One of the clear benefits of having Carlos Sainz in the team is his working methodology. “Both sides of the garage are now operating at the same level, and more importantly, they are collaborating closely,” Smeets explained.
“We’re now able to distribute the workload much more effectively during Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2. We can combine the knowledge gained across both cars to determine the best direction to follow for the rest of the weekend. That kind of input is of immense value to us,” he added.
Sven Smeets also praised the excellent professional relationship between Carlos Sainz and his teammate Alexander Albon. “On track, they’re clearly rivals, but back in the garage, it’s all about teamwork—pushing the team forward, improving the car, and supporting the factory’s development program. Now we have two drivers who are pushing the team to its limits in the same direction. That kind of alignment makes things easier across the board.”
But the influence of the former Ferrari driver at Williams goes well beyond performance metrics. According to Smeets, the Spanish driver has introduced several new ideas that will likely only be fully implemented starting from next season. However, the team has already adopted a number of short-term improvements based on his input.
One such example relates to tyre management procedures behind the garage. “He brought new suggestions about how to heat and stack the tyres more effectively, and we’ve already started using them,” Smeets revealed.
The “Sainz effect” has also made a strong impact away from the race track. At the opening ceremony of the new Madrid circuit—which will debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 2026—Williams expected to draw between 5,000 and 7,000 fans. “We ended up welcoming 25,000 people. It turned out to be one of our best-ever days in terms of merchandise sales,” said Smeets.
Moreover, the Williams Driver Academy has seen a sharp increase in interest and applications from young drivers. “His arrival sends a strong message that we are serious about building a competitive future. That makes a big difference in our conversations with emerging talents and their management teams,” he concluded.
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