Carlos Sainz admits 2025 will be a transition year as it takes "half a year" to get used to a new car

Carlos Sainz at Williams is one of the most notable changes in the Formula 1 driver line up this year. The Spaniard was pushed to make room for Lewis Hamilton, and now will race for the British team, which ended ninth last year, with only 17 points. "2025 is a transition year to take advantage of the opportunities that 2026 can offer and recover that disadvantage with the bigger teams", Sainz confirmed, adding that "if there is a podium this season it will be welcome, but it is not what I expect".

Sainz's challenge will come from adjusting to his new team, which is something he is already used to: in ten years, he has raced for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and now Williams: "I have raced for 50% of the teams in Formula 1 in 10 years. That's a different team every two years, I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing!"

With such an unusual experience at a relatively young age, Sainz knows well what is the biggest change with different teams: the power unit of the car. He will race with a Mercedes power unite for the first time: "The noises, the vibrations, the sound... everything just changes completely", he admits, while adding that "my experience tells me it takes around half a year to really understand all the tricks and the little details on the car".

So, even if "this doesn't mean that you can't be competitive", Sainz isn't expecting to win a fifth Grand Prix this year, after getting nine podiums and winning two in 2024. He won't have to fight with Leclerc this year, at least...