Carlos Sainz risks fading away from F1 at Williams
Carlos Sainz might find it difficult to stay relevant in Formula 1 during his stint at Williams for the next two seasons.
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Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO) Williams Racing logo (via Williams Racing)
Carlos Sainz had no backup plans for 2025 when Ferrari decided to replace him with Lewis Hamilton. The Spanish driver ultimately settled with a seat at Williams after negotiating with multiple teams. However, the Grove-based team could do harm to his career in the long run.
Sainz joins Williams on a multi-year deal. The 30-year-old decided to ditch offers from Audi and Alpine to join the Grove-based squad. Though, Carlos Sainz admitted that he had wanted to seek opportunities at Mercedes or Red Bull.
The Spanish driver has entrusted James Vowles‘ long-term plan for Williams. The 30-year-old aims to bring the historic team back to the front of the grid during this journey. Though, the margin for error will be extremely less for Sainz if he wants to stay relevant in F1.
Carlos Sainz could follow Valtteri Bottas’ downward career trajectory
Valtteri Bottas was in a similar situation as Carlos Sainz in 2022. The Finnish driver sought refuge at Sauber (then Alfa Romeo) after being ousted from Mercedes. Despite some initial results, Bottas failed to get the most out of himself and became just another driver at the back of the grid. Now, the 35-year-old has switched to a reserve role with Mercedes for next year after being sacked by Sauber.
Carlos Sainz must take lessons from Bottas’ dwindling career. The Spanish driver must not only ensure that he outperforms Alex Albon, but that Williams continues to make progress. If the British team faces a massive performance slump, no matter how good Sainz performs, no one would take notice.
The Spanish driver has hinted that he could move back to a top team in the future if an opportunity arises. For such a scenario, Carlos Sainz would need to stay at the top of his game and outdrive the car at every round. The 2025 grid sees an influx of several rookies who would be seen as better long-term bets than 30-year-old Sainz.
Formula 1 is brutal. Carlos Sainz was knocked off from Ferrari right when he seemed to be at home. Now, the 30-year-old needs to thrive at Williams to ensure he doesn’t fade away from the eyes of top teams. Fans would hope that the British team provides a decent car and the right background for the Spaniard next season.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2271 Articles Published)