Carlos Sainz’s debut with the Williams F1 team hasn’t been smooth, and it’s been marked by some early challenges.
- After a mishap in Australia, Sainz has struggled to find his footing in the new team and car.
- The promising start during pre-season tests hasn’t translated well into race results for Sainz at Williams.
- Alex Albon has consistently outperformed Sainz, highlighting areas of improvement for the Spaniard.
- Despite these setbacks, there’s a shared belief that Sainz will regain his form with time and effort.
Carlos Sainz’s transition to Williams has been less than ideal, beginning with a stumble at the Australian Grand Prix. In this opening race of the 2025 season, Sainz experienced an unfortunate crash while in 10th place, attributed to a gear change issue that caused loss of control and ultimately led to a collision with the wall. This incident set the stage for a tough start with his new team.
Following Australia, the Chinese Grand Prix offered little respite. Sainz was outpaced by his teammate Alex Albon throughout the event. In the Sprint Qualifying, Sainz ended in 13th place, trailing significantly behind Albon, who secured the 9th spot. Throughout both Qualifying and the main race, Sainz struggled notably in the final sector of the Shanghai circuit, which impacted his overall performance.
Throughout the race weekend in China, issues with tire performance further compounded Sainz’s challenges. During the Sprint, he was the sole driver to make a pit stop due to excessive tire graining. This problem persisted into the main race, where despite setup adjustments to his car, the FW47 failed to optimize tire performance, adding to his difficulties.
While the early performances have been challenging, there’s optimism that Sainz can adapt to the Williams car and team. He showed potential in pre-season tests in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, and although the initial races haven’t mirrored these results, there’s an ongoing effort by Sainz and his engineers to address performance issues. His self-critical and consistent nature is seen as a strength that will help him fine-tune his approach in the coming weeks.
With focused effort and the right adjustments, Carlos Sainz is expected to find his stride again at Williams.
