Williams had a positive 2025 F1 season, finishing fifth in the Teams' Championship with notable moments including Carlos Sainz's two podiums and strong performances in the second half. Sainz's best moments included his first podium with Williams in Azerbaijan and a second in Qatar, while Albon led in qualifying early on. The team faced challenges like disqualifications and a poor Abu Dhabi finish but remains optimistic for 2026, aiming to build on their progress and avoid complacency.
Carlos Sainz received a five-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix after being deemed at fault in a collision with Kimi Antonelli during the United States Grand Prix in Austin, which led to Sainz's retirement from the race. The incident was investigated, and Sainz was found primarily responsible, resulting in the penalty and two license points. Sainz described the crash as worse from the outside, while Antonelli expressed that he tried to avoid contact.
Carlos Sainz suggests short-term fixes like using only soft tires in sprint races to increase excitement and proposes experimenting with different formats, including reverse grids, to improve the F1 sprint race experience.
Carlos Sainz achieved his first podium with Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ending a tough season and expressing immense happiness and pride in overcoming challenges and demonstrating the team's progress.
Carlos Sainz, starting second after a chaotic qualifying session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, aims to secure his first podium for Williams, highlighting his speed and consistency despite recent bad luck, and hopes to improve his standing in the championship.
Carlos Sainz qualified second for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, expressing satisfaction with his performance despite missing out on pole to Max Verstappen in a dramatic qualifying session. Sainz aims for a podium finish, while Williams' Alex Albon will start from the back after a crash in Q1. Sainz remains optimistic about the race despite a challenging season.
Carlos Sainz achieved his best qualifying result for Williams with a second-place grid start at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, demonstrating his qualifying strength despite a challenging season, and aims for a podium finish in the race.
Max Verstappen secured pole position at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a chaotic qualifying session marked by six red flags, crashes from Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, and challenging weather conditions, denying Carlos Sainz a shock pole and setting the stage for an exciting race.
Carlos Sainz supported the race director's decision to delay the Belgian GP start by 80 minutes due to rain, emphasizing safety given the track's history and recent accidents. Despite a disappointing race, he praised the cautious approach, which included a rolling start under safety car conditions, and acknowledged the gamble of starting from the pitlane did not pay off.
Carlos Sainz warned 'pure F1 fans' to keep an open mind about Hollywood's F1 movie, 'F1 The Movie,' which premiered in New York with many F1 drivers and team members present, except Max Verstappen. The film features authentic F1 elements with input from Lewis Hamilton and stars Brad Pitt as a fictional F1 driver.
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets at the Abu Dhabi F1 test, concluding the 2024 season, with a fastest lap of 1m23.510 for Ferrari. Carlos Sainz, on his Williams debut, was second-fastest, just 0.125s behind. The test allowed teams to run two cars, one for rookies and one for Pirelli tire testing. Notable performances included Nico Hulkenberg for Sauber and Pato O’Ward for McLaren. The test also saw rookies like Luke Browning and Ryo Hirakawa impress, while Liam Lawson had the highest lap count. Jak Crawford made his debut for Aston Martin.
Charles Leclerc led the post-season Formula 1 test session in Abu Dhabi for Ferrari, ahead of Carlos Sainz, who debuted for Williams, and George Russell of Mercedes. The test featured both rookie and regular drivers, with teams running various tyre compounds provided by Pirelli. Notable driver changes included Esteban Ocon at Haas and Yuki Tsunoda testing for Red Bull. The session allowed teams to experiment with setups and tyre strategies, with Leclerc ultimately setting the fastest lap time.
Carlos Sainz's former race engineer, Tom Stallard, shares insights on what Williams can expect from Sainz when he joins the team in 2025. Stallard, who worked with Sainz at McLaren, describes him as a technically engaged and demanding driver who has improved every team he's been part of. Stallard believes Sainz will be a significant asset to Williams, complementing Alex Albon to form a strong driver lineup.
Carlos Sainz's future in F1 remains uncertain, with potential moves to Williams or Audi being speculated. Sky Sports' David Croft believes Williams is the likely destination. Meanwhile, Christian Horner has emerged as the key decision-maker at Red Bull, securing Sergio Perez's continuation with the team. Racing legend Parnelli Jones has passed away at 90. Additionally, several countries, including South Korea and Thailand, are vying to join the F1 calendar, and the FIA will unveil the 2026 F1 regulations soon.
A dramatic crash involving Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez during the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix was captured by fans. The incident, which occurred in the Beau Rivage section, led to significant wreckage and a red flag. Zhou Guanyu's cautious approach to the crash scene inadvertently helped Carlos Sainz regain his position. The crash also resulted in debris striking a photographer, who was later found to be unharmed.
