Carlos Sainz delivered an outstanding 2025 season, and heading into 2026 he appears to have everything it takes to fight for victories. An analysis of his 2025 campaign confirms just how strong his year with Williams really was.
The 2025 season proved to be an excellent one for Carlos Sainz, who was competing in Formula 1 with Williams for the first time. Not everyone expected such a strong campaign from the Spanish driver after he was replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz had remained without a seat for a long time, leading many to believe that choosing Williams was a last resort. Instead, the opposite proved true: Sainz secured two podium finishes during the season, while Hamilton, for example, failed to score a single podium with Ferrari. Here is a full analysis of Sainz’s season.
Early difficulties
The start of the 2025 season was not easy for Carlos Sainz, who was still adapting to life at Williams. After retiring from the opening race in Australia, he managed to score just one point in China. Following another retirement in the fourth race in Bahrain, the Spanish driver then finished in the points in the next four rounds, leading many to believe he had put his early struggles behind him. However, at his home race in Spain he finished only 14th, before returning to the points in Canada.
His difficulties were not over, though. After failing to even start the Austrian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz went through a run of disappointing results between the British Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. During the same period, his team-mate managed to finish in the points at every race except Hungary. This highlighted the challenges Sainz was facing at that stage of the season, although they would soon be overcome.
The two podium finishes
After this negative run, Sainz arrived in Baku determined to deliver a strong performance and silence his critics. What followed was an unexpected result. Taking advantage of difficulties faced by some of the leading teams, the Spaniard finished third in the race, securing a remarkable podium for both himself and Williams. It would not be his only podium of the 2025 season.
Carlos Sainz repeated the feat in Qatar, once again finishing third and placing himself ahead of Lando Norris. He also secured another podium in the Sprint race in Austin, although this result was not replicated on Sunday. What stood out most, however, was the resilience shown by Carlos Sainz, who was able to put his earlier struggles behind him and outperform his experienced team-mate Alexander Albon. He ended the season in ninth place in the drivers’ standings, just behind Alex Albon, but with a significant points recovery during the second half of the year.
Foundations for 2026
Sainz is now eager to return to winning races, and Williams could provide him with a highly competitive car for the 2026 season. Powered by Mercedes engines and led by James Vowles, the Grove-based team has all the tools required to become a front-running force once again. With an experienced driver like Carlos Sainz in the cockpit, the foundations are firmly in place to dream big. Should Williams find itself ahead of Ferrari, it would only further validate the bold choice made by the Spanish driver.
Carlos Sainz has transformed a season that began with uncertainty into a powerful statement of intent. By overcoming mechanical setbacks and the steep learning curve of a new team, he has proven that his talent remains world-class regardless of the color of his overalls. As the 2026 regulations loom, the former Ferrari driver has positioned himself perfectly to lead the Williams resurgence, turning “nostalgia for glory” into a tangible pursuit of silverware.
Leave a Reply