Carlos Sainz Predicts Williams’ Revival: A McLaren-like Rise on the Horizon

Carlos Sainz shares thoughts on McLaren's future and draws an interesting parallel with Williams

Carlos Sainz believes Williams has the potential to follow McLaren's path to success

Carlos Sainz foresaw McLaren's ascent and now believes he has a similar intuition regarding his upcoming team, Williams.

At the beginning of this year, Sainz was aware that he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025, making him a significant figure in the F1 driver market for many months.

He claims that he predicted McLaren's current success when he left the team. Sainz observes similar qualities in Williams, the team he is set to join next year.

Carlos Sainz mentioned at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, with Crash.net present in the paddock, that throughout all the negotiations, he consistently had Williams on his mind due to his positive rapport with James Vowles and the investment group Dorilton.

"Throughout my years in Formula 1, I've come to rely on my intuition when it comes to judging people."

Reflecting on my departure from McLaren in 2020, I felt optimistic about the team's progress and future success, thanks to my experience collaborating with Zak Brown and Andrea Stella.

“When I departed from McLaren, I mentioned that they might not secure victories in the upcoming year or the year after, but this team and its members will achieve wins in the near future.

"Four years on, they are excelling remarkably. Back then, I had this intuition, and now I sense the same about the team and environment at Williams. I have to rely on this instinct, and that's where my dedication lies."

Sainz describes his decision to sign with Williams

Williams successfully outmaneuvered Sauber/Audi and Alpine to obtain his much-desired contract.

He stated that making the decision before the summer break was crucial for him.

"It's been an extremely challenging seven months in my career, managing the events of January while also meeting the high expectations placed on me as a Ferrari driver in a high-stress setting."

Sainz mentioned that while competing, he is also discussing with various teams and evaluating all possible options.

"I set a goal to make a decision before the break, and I wanted to be completely certain when I made it."

"I made the choice because I had a great connection and productive discussions with Williams from the start. They are deeply dedicated to Formula 1, have a robust plan, strong leadership, and a firm intention to restore a historic F1 team to its former glory."

"It's a driving force for me. It inspired me when I joined McLaren and again when I moved to Ferrari, even when they were struggling after a difficult 2020 season. That same motivation is what excites me about taking on a project like Williams now."

In the last three years, Sainz has secured a grand prix victory for Ferrari each season, with his most recent win occurring earlier this year in Australia.

However, it is improbable that his new car will be competing for top-three finishes in 2025.

He replied, “To be completely truthful, I’ve spent a decade in Formula 1, and for about eight of those years, I wasn’t competing for victories. There were only two or three years when I did.”

"I've spent more time not competing for victories than actually competing for them."

For me, Formula 1 is largely about getting the most performance out of the car. The outcome isn't solely determined by the athlete or the driver; it also heavily relies on the vehicle they are operating.

“What really drives me is figuring out how I can assist Williams and contribute to advancing the project.”

"I want to feel heard, to feel like I can contribute, and at a storied team like Williams, their clear vision and strong commitment to returning to the front with dedicated investment partners was significant for me. Achieving wins or podiums in 2025 might be challenging, but I still believe we can perform well."

Sainz can now concentrate on his racing performance during F1 weekends without the distraction of dealing with his future plans.

He mentioned that it is challenging to perform at a top level as a Ferrari driver while simultaneously making a crucial decision about your future.

"It occupied a significant portion of my thoughts, and I believe I was consistently transparent with you – I wasn't having a hard time, as my results indicated – but it certainly drained my mental energy."

"I recall feeling relieved when I decided to take a break. I knew I needed to disconnect, recharge, and then return fully focused on performing well for Ferrari in the next 10 races."

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