Norris: Sainz will propel Williams forwards

With Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025, Sainz had to make way, and the only option he had was to join Williams, a huge step back for a driver who is lauded for his ability in the cockpit of an F1 car.

Sainz raced at Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc for four seasons and was able to challenge his teammate, who is Ferrari's chosen one and one of the best, if not the best, qualifiers on the grid.

As a result, it was a surprise that no top team signed Sainz after Ferrari dropped him despite being linked to Mercedes and Red Bull at some point.

But Norris, who shared the McLaren garage with Sainz in 2019 and 2020, insists all is not lost for the Spaniard; he said: "Carlos is someone I know well, and I've started racing in Formula 1 with Carlos. You always knew he was going to be there, and he was always going to put up a good fight.

"He'll be back. Williams have been improving a lot. They've not had someone with a lot of genuine experience from a top team. Carlos will for sure add to that and propel the team forwards even more," he predicted.

Norris, whose team, McLaren, won the 2024 F1 constructors' title, pointed out that the major upcoming regulation changes in 2026 will be a chance for Williams to make a step forward from which Sainz will benefit; he added: "2026 is a year where anything can happen.

"Williams can be at the top all of a sudden. So, we'll wait and see. But it's a shame because I think he [Sainz] has proven himself enough in Formula 1 that he deserves a good seat.

"He deserves to fight for championships and wins and those types of things, and it's a shame when that opportunity is lost. But it's not because he's not got talent or he's not got the ability, right? It's because it's the biggest name in Formula 1 who wants his seat [at Ferrari].

"We'll see in the future what it takes—we’ll see how Lewis does in Ferrari with Charles and against Charles," Norris mused. "But [Carlos] has proven himself enough, so I don't think anyone needs to doubt him.

"And I'm sure his time will come back again, and he'll help Williams fight back to the top," he concluded.

Sainz finished his final season with Ferrari fifth in the F1 drivers' championship and won two races: the 2024 Australian Grand Prix and 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Sainz's win in Australia is the more impressive as he achieved it two weeks after undergoing surgery for appendicitis which made him miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.