The new Formula 1 season, the last with the current regulations with ground effect cars, is approaching, and the first predictions for 2025 are starting to come in. Charles Leclerc has made a few of them, talking about his former teammate Carlos Sainz: let’s see how the arrival of the Spaniard could improve the performance of Williams according to the Monegasque driver.
The season starting in March in Australia will be full of changes. Many drivers will debut in the top motorsport category, and many others will change teams. One of the most significant moves is surely Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, replacing Carlos Sainz, who will move to Williams to partner with Alex Albon.
This was certainly a tough blow for the Spanish driver. After spending four years at Maranello with a car that almost always allowed him to fight for the top five positions, he will join another historic team, but one that is struggling in the standings. It will be very difficult for him to increase his number of wins, which so far stands at four.
The Williams team, after being one of the most successful in Formula 1 history with 9 Constructors’ titles and 7 Drivers’ titles, has significantly declined. The first signs of trouble began in 2006. The cars, after fighting for world titles in the early 2000s with Montoya, started performing worse. From 2006 to 2014, with one exception, Williams never finished a season in the top 5.
After a brief period of competitiveness with Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, the Grove team faded into obscurity. In recent years, they have always been fighting to avoid finishing the season in last place in the Constructors’ Championship.
This is the team that will welcome Carlos Sainz in 2025. Despite this, his former teammate Leclerc is very confident: he knows that the Spaniard will bring Williams back to the top. “I think Lando and I are the two most qualified to talk about Carlos because we’ve spent many years with him. I can say he’s an incredibly talented driver, and he’s helped me improve in many areas.”
“I think that if Ferrari has made such progress today, it’s also thanks to Carlos’ work. I’m sure that for him, at Williams, it will only be a matter of time before he’s back and fighting for victories. He will give so much to Williams. The way he’s sensitive to every little change and every little problem felt in the car is fantastic.” – he pointed out.
“I’m sure that even from his first laps with Williams during the pre-season tests, the team will have a lot of valuable feedback that will help them a lot,” Charles Leclerc continued. “What will I miss about him? Definitely the battles. It was an absolute pleasure, and I look back on those moments only positively.” – the Ferrari man concluded.
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