At the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, almost nobody imagined that Carlos Sainz — newly departed from Ferrari and moving to a rebuilding Williams squad — would end the year with more podium finishes than seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Yet the championship delivered one twist after another, and the final statistics painted a picture few would have predicted.
Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with enormous expectations on his shoulders. The Italian team had pushed Red Bull to the brink in 2024, and many believed that pairing Lewis Hamilton with Charles Leclerc would finally give the Scuderia the firepower needed to return to title-winning form. Instead, the campaign unravelled in disappointing fashion. Ferrari slipped to fourth place in the constructors’ standings, far behind a dominant McLaren team, a resurgent Mercedes, and a Red Bull outfit that remained almost entirely reliant on Max Verstappen for points.
The pressure on team principal Fred Vasseur has intensified, and the team is acutely aware that getting the 2026 regulations right will be crucial to avoid yet another painful setback.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the paddock, Carlos Sainz quietly rebuilt his momentum at Williams. Despite the team finishing behind Ferrari by 261 points, the Spanish driver’s season was a story of steady progress. After using the early races to adapt to a very different environment, the Spaniard hit his stride after the summer break, becoming the first Williams driver to secure multiple podiums in a single season since 2015. His performances brought new energy to a team determined to climb back toward the front of the grid.
When the Spanish media asked Carlos Sainz about finishing the year with more podiums than Lewis Hamilton, his answer reflected the humility and perspective that have defined his Formula 1 journey. He explained that he took satisfaction from his own achievements rather than from the struggles of others, saying he felt proud of delivering podiums in Baku and Qatar, along with a strong Sprint result in Austin. He noted that many doubted whether he would be able to reach that level with Williams, but he always viewed the move as a new chapter rather than a setback.
According to Carlos Sainz, he remembered arriving at the 2024 Abu Dhabi test in full Williams kit — white helmet, white race suit — completely focused on the future rather than on what he had left behind at Ferrari. He described the season’s outcome as aligning with what he believed he could accomplish, which for him was the most satisfying part of the entire campaign.
Carlos Sainz extends remarkable career trend after switching to Williams
The 2025 season marked the fifth different team that Carlos Sainz has raced for since making his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso in 2015. Even in his rookie year, he delivered strong performances despite the challenge of having Max Verstappen as his teammate. Over the years, the Spaniard has represented Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams — and on every occasion, the team he joined improved its position in the constructors’ standings during his first season with them.
Sainz’s decision to choose Williams over Sauber (now operating under the Audi banner) raised eyebrows at the time, but it is increasingly viewed as one of the most strategic moves on the grid. Audi, who were eager to secure a proven race winner for their 2026 project, may now be questioning whether they should have pushed harder to sign him.
The respect Carlos Sainz commands within the paddock has only grown. Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has praised him repeatedly, noting that Carlos Sainz handled the disappointment of losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton with grace rather than resentment. Instead of dwelling on the past, the Spaniard channeled his energy into lifting Williams and proving once again that he can thrive in any environment. His 2025 season stands as yet another example of his adaptability, professionalism, and racing intelligence — qualities that make him one of the most consistently impressive drivers in modern Formula 1.
