Sainz: 2025 a transition year to be ready for what 2026 may bring

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night ahead of the F1 75 LIVE event in London on Tuesday, new Williams driver Sainz joked when he discussed his move to the legendary Grove-based team: "I like blue first of all – it's an easier colour to combine with other things!"

Reflecting on his career trajectory, the 30-year-old Spaniard continued: "That's me doing 50 per cent of the teams in Formula 1 in 10 years, so that's a different team every two years! I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but it definitely has given me a lot of experience and a lot of information on how different teams can work."

Sainz, who previously raced for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari, acknowledged the significance of the shift from Maranello back to a UK-based outfit: "Definitely, this is the biggest switch – going from an Italian-based team back to a British-based team. It's definitely going to be a big change again, but one I'm excited for and keen to enjoy and fast-track that challenge of acclimatisation."

Williams finished seventh in the 2024 Constructors' Championship, and while expectations are tempered for the upcoming season, Sainz is prepared for the challenge ahead: "We have talked about it being a bit of a transition year, a bit of a preparation year, to get ready for the opportunities that '26 might bring.

"To bridge that gap from the midfield where Williams was last year to the top four teams, even though that gap can be smaller than ever… those three or four-tenths are very difficult to find in this budget cap, very constrained regulation era," explained Sainz.

With competition in the midfield expected to remain fierce, Sainz is under no illusions about the difficulty of breaking into the top 10: "It's going to be a challenge to even get into top 10 positions with the competition there was last year in this part of the field, so I'm ready for those fights and then see what comes."

While podiums may be an outside possibility, Sainz is realistic about Williams' immediate prospects: "If a podium comes in the season, then I will more than welcome it, but I'm not expecting to go into the first race fighting for a podium or even top fives."

Williams’ long-standing lead driver, Alex Albon, has welcomed Sainz’s arrival and believes the former Ferrari driver’s experience will be invaluable to the team’s development.

"It's great to have Carlos on board," Albon stated. "It brings a different dynamic immediately because of the experience he brings and coming from a team like Ferrari where there is a lot of knowledge to learn."

Albon, who has been Williams' main driver reference over the past two seasons, admitted that Sainz’s insights from Ferrari could be particularly beneficial: "I'd say in many ways, just where Ferrari were in the championship, maybe there's more for us to learn from him than there is for him to learn from us."

The Thai driver also highlighted how Sainz's arrival could ease the burden on his shoulders: "In terms of how it plays out over the year, just small things. In my previous two years, when there was a relatively young rookie on the other side of the garage, in terms of development everything normally fell on to my side."

"That side of things will help," he concluded, suggesting a more balanced approach to car development within the team.

With a new driver pairing and a long-term vision towards 2026, Williams enters the 2025 season with measured expectations but a clear commitment to progress.