Carlos Sainz expressed optimism about Williams's pace for the Dutch Grand Prix, despite finishing 16th in a challenging second practice session. He described the car's performance as "promising" and felt "at home with the car" after significant improvements from FP1 to FP2.
Why it matters:
Williams has historically struggled at high-downforce tracks like Zandvoort. An unexpected strong performance here would signal a significant step forward for the team and offer Carlos Sainz a crucial opportunity to end his recent streak of pointless weekends. His last points finish was a 10th place at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The details:
- Challenging FP2 for Sainz: Sainz's struggles were evident as he failed to complete a clean lap on soft tires, encountering Virtual Safety Cars, yellow flags, or red flags every time he was on a hot lap. He ultimately finished 1.792 seconds behind pacesetter Lando Norris.
- Albon's Incident: Teammate Alex Albon, who finished fifth in FP1, had a minor crash in FP2, beaching his car at Turn 1.
- Car Improvement: Despite the timesheets not reflecting it, Sainz noted a substantial improvement in the car's feel between sessions, which encouraged his positive outlook. "I know the timesheets don't show it... But when you look at the detail, we are actually not bad, which I don't really understand why because the track shouldn't really suit us," he explained.
Looking ahead:
Sainz is tempering expectations but remains confident about fighting for a top 10 position and securing valuable points. He acknowledges that outright speed might not put them at the very front, but the potential to score points at a track where it was "impossible" in Hungary provides a significant boost. This weekend presents a prime opportunity for him to bounce back and get his championship campaign on track.