Carlos Sainz Sr has revealed that his son is braced to experience a “challenging” opening Formula 1 season with Williams in 2025 amid the team’s struggles last season.
Ferrari’s decision to acquire seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton prior to a wheel being turned last season has consigned Sainz to an immediate move down the grid.
Having been involved in a title fight with Ferrari in 2024 against McLaren, Sainz will now be striving to help propel Williams into the mix against his two most recent teams.
However, that is poised to be a long-term ambition as the Grove-based squad ended the previous campaign ninth in the Constructors’ Championship with 17 points.
But while minimal progress is expected in 2025, Williams is undergoing a rebuild that it hopes will deliver a return to the sharp end under the revamped ruleset coming in 2026.
Williams boss James Vowles revealed that he’s hired close to 250 people since being appointed in 2023, while renovations are ongoing at the team’s Grove headquarters.
Sainz Sr has expressed that his son is raring to commence his latest venture, despite the acknowledgement that the upcoming campaign is set to be a challenging one.
“There are drivers who peak quickly, show everything and then stagnate or fall back. Carlos continues to improve every year,” Sainz Snr told El Cafelito.
“It will be a difficult year at Williams. They finished second to last in the championship, but he is full of enthusiasm and is very eager to get started.”
Sainz ’embracing’ Williams challenge
Sainz echoed that sentiment upon the announcement that he had turned down Alpine and Sauber/Audi to agree a move to partner incumbent Alex Albon at Williams.
“I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport,” he said.
“The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.”
Sainz had ‘hard time processing’ Ferrari release
Sainz Sr has conceded that it took his son a while to come to terms with the unexpected news that Hamilton’s impending arrival meant Ferrari wouldn’t be renewing his deal.
But having also been dealt a setback when Mercedes and Red Bull overlooked him, Sainz, who was present in Grove last week, is approaching 2025 with renewed purpose.
“He had a hard time processing the news from Ferrari,” Sainz Sr admitted.
“Then he also had to process that, due to various circumstances, Mercedes and Red Bull did not open doors for him.
“And when that was all over, he decided to go to Williams. I see him starting the season very motivated and full of energy.”
READ MORE – Williams reveals Alex Albon ‘encouraged’ it to sign Carlos Sainz
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