F1: Carlos Sainz reserves judgement on life after Ferrari

Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr. in his Williams Racing car ahead of the new F1 season. –WILLIAMS RACING PHOTO

Carlos Sainz drove his 2025 Williams for the first time at a cold, grey Silverstone on Friday but the former Ferrari driver reserved judgement on how he would feel scrapping for points rather than wins this season.

Former champion Williams was ninth of the 10 Formula One teams last year and is looking more at 2026, when the sport undergoes a major shakeup and enters a new engine era, for any big step up.

Sainz, who ceded his place at Ferrari to seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton and is now on his fifth different F1 team, said first impressions of the car were positive and he felt highly motivated.

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“I think this is a good show of Williams’ progress, to be bold enough to prepare a test where all of our partners are here, all the media is invited to see the first laps of the car,” the Spaniard told reporters.

“It shows the trust that Williams has in their new tools to produce a car that is going to be here on time, is going to be working well like it did today without any issues and I think it’s a good sign.”

Sainz won four races with Ferrari, two of them last season, and left reluctantly — choosing Williams over last-placed Sauber despite that team becoming the Audi factory outfit in 2026.

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He said he had already adjusted to seeing former Mercedes driver Hamilton in red Ferrari overalls but could not say how he would feel to be fighting a different battle.

“I don’t know how I’m going to react to fighting for the seventh to the 15th (place), I don’t know how much I’m going to miss it (winning), I don’t know how much fun I’m going to find it,” he added.

“The only thing I can tell you is I’m very happy, I’m very motivated, I’m excited, I feel supported, I feel a team full of good energy, positive energy.

“I have a team principal and a team that fully trusts in my abilities and that want to listen to what I say and I have confidence in my abilities to help the team to move forward.

“I like Alex (Albon) as a teammate in how we can both push this team forward. So the whole project, the whole thing just motivates me a lot.”