Carlos Sainz has admitted he “cannot tell” when Williams will be back competing at the sharp end in Formula 1, as he bids to help return his new team to the pinnacle.
The Spaniard delivered his most productive season in 2024 as two victories and nine podiums saw him notch 290 points as Ferrari almost took the Constructors’ title.
However, Sainz will not get the chance to be involved in Ferrari’s aim to go one better in 2025 as it has signed seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton to replace him.
With no viable space at another leading side, Sainz has hedged his career prospects on a rebuilding Williams, committing to the British outfit on a multi-term contract.
The Grove-based squad remains a historic name with a combined 16 F1 titles, but it hasn’t won a single race since 2012 and classified in ninth place last time around.
However, Williams insists that brighter times are on the horizon as it invests mass sums towards ensuring that it hits the ground running when the rules reset in 2026.
Asked when it will be possible to return to the podium with Williams, Sainz told media including Motorsport Week: “Yeah, that is a question that I cannot answer.
“It’s impossible to predict the future, impossible to know how long it’s going to take me and Williams to be back fighting for podium positions.
“I think James [Vowles, Williams Team Principal] said it the other day and calmed everyone’s expectations, that next year is going to be a tough year and a learning year before we prepare for the change of regulations in ‘26, where I believe the team is investing and the team is preparing to maximise that chance.
“What I can tell you is that I’m as determined as ever to help that team to be back where it belongs. I personally feel like I belong to be fighting for wins, podiums and top fives in Formula 1. I think I’ve proven it these last four years as a driver. I think I belong to that.
“But Williams cannot forget that Williams also belongs to fighting for these top five and podium places.
“And together with the determination and the strength that I think we’re going to show together, the target is to get Williams and myself fighting for those positions in the near future, in the nearest future. How long that’s going to take, I cannot tell you.”
Sainz relishing Williams challenge
But despite having expressed that his Ferrari exit was “bittersweet”, Sainz has claimed that he is embracing the chance to help revive a sleeping giant in the series.
“As I said before, I don’t think you guys understand and expect how motivated and how much I’m actually looking forward to that challenge,” he added.
“I know that’s one of my qualities, to help a team to perform better and to know which directions to follow. And that actually motivates me, having a full team behind Alex [Albon] and me pushing all in the same direction to make a historic team like Williams competitive again is.
“It’s a challenge that yeah it’s tough to explain but some people don’t understand how much I’m actually looking forward to it.”
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