Carlos Sainz reveals the Williams 'trap' he avoided after 'weirdest' season start

Carlos Sainz has opened up about the mental battle he faced during his first season with Williams, admitting it would have been "very easy" to fall into a trap of giving up after a string of frustrating results. Despite showing strong pace from the outset, a combination of team execution errors and on-track incidents meant it took over half the season for the results to finally materialize, culminating in a crucial podium in Baku that validated his perseverance.

Why it matters:

Sainz's candid reflection highlights the intense psychological pressure drivers face when performance and results are misaligned, a scenario that can be more demoralizing than simply lacking speed. His ability to overcome self-doubt and push through a "complete write-off" feeling underscores a critical, often overlooked aspect of success in Formula 1: mental resilience. For Williams, securing a driver of Sainz's caliber and witnessing his turnaround is a massive vote of confidence in their rebuilding project under James Vowles.

The details:

• Sainz joined Williams from Ferrari for the 2025 season, motivated by the long-term project presented by Team Principal James Vowles.
• The first half of the season was plagued by problems. Sainz was consistently outperformed by teammate Alex Albon, and the team struggled with strategy and operational mistakes during race weekends.
• After the summer break, despite feeling fresh and delivering strong performances at Zandvoort and Monza, both weekends ended in collisions, yielding zero points from potential top-seven finishes.
• This period marked his "toughest moment," leading to thoughts that the season was a "complete write-off."
• The breakthrough came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Sainz scored Williams' first podium in a full-length race since 2017, proving that persistence could finally translate pace into points.

The big picture:

Sainz's eventual recovery was remarkable. From being 16th in the standings after the summer break, he rallied to finish 9th, just nine points behind Albon. His podiums in Baku and Qatar, plus a Sprint podium in Austin, were instrumental in Williams securing 137 points and an impressive 5th place in the Constructors' Championship. This points haul starkly contrasts with the team's total of just 84 points across the seven previous seasons (2018-2024), signaling a significant competitive step forward.

Between the lines:

Sainz's experience reveals a key dynamic in a driver's mindset. The "weirdest" feeling he references—having the car pace from the beginning but failing to score—is uniquely challenging. It creates a tension between confidence in one's ability and frustration with external circumstances. His decision to "keep digging" rather than succumb to resignation was the defining factor that turned his season around. This resilience not only salvaged his own results but also provided crucial points for the team's constructors' battle, demonstrating his value beyond raw speed.