Not a lot of drivers on the Formula 1 grid have faced as many different teammates as Carlos Sainz throughout his career.
Carlos Sainz began his Formula 1 journey in 2015, sharing the Toro Rosso garage with Max Verstappen. Later, at Renault, he competed alongside Pierre Gasly and the highly experienced Nico Hülkenberg, which added to the diversity of his teammate experience.
When Sainz moved to McLaren, he found himself racing alongside rising star Lando Norris. This partnership lasted until Sainz made the step up to Ferrari, where he teamed up with Charles Leclerc.
During their four seasons as teammates, Charles Leclerc held a slight competitive advantage over Sainz. This marginal edge ultimately influenced Ferrari’s decision to replace Sainz with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ahead of the 2025 season.
At 30 years old, Carlos Sainz had multiple options for the 2025 campaign. However, Guenther Steiner, the team principal of Haas, suggested that Sainz might later regret not signing with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo). Despite the speculation, Sainz eventually joined Williams, where Alex Albon became his latest teammate on the Formula 1 grid.
Currently, Alex Albon holds a performance advantage over Sainz, outscoring the Spaniard by 33 points in the 2025 drivers’ championship to date. Nevertheless, Sainz has shared insights on how his relationship with Albon is distinctly different from the one he had with Leclerc during his Ferrari years.
Carlos Sainz has emphasized that his relationship with Alex Albon is characterized by greater honesty and openness than with any of his previous teammates. During an interview on the High Performance Podcast, Sainz was asked whether he and Albon needed to be fierce rivals to push each other to perform at their best, as is common with many teammate pairings in Formula 1.
He explained that while the competitive instinct remains strong when they are on track—each driver aiming to outperform the other—the dynamic changes off the track. Sainz pointed out that once the helmets come off, their focus shifts to collaborative teamwork. They leave egos aside and prioritize the question, “How can we make the car faster as soon as possible?”
Sainz admitted that this shared goal of maximizing car performance fosters an environment of exceptional honesty between him and Albon. They exchange candid feedback about the car’s handling and performance history, which is a level of openness he had not experienced with previous teammates.
The maturity of both drivers allows them to set aside personal interests for the medium-term success of the team. Both feel comfortable being themselves within the Williams team environment, believing this approach is the most direct route to achieving podium finishes and race victories.
Looking back, Carlos Sainz also reflected on his time as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Toro Rosso. He described that partnership as “exhausting” because the intense rivalry pushed them to their limits, even during practice sessions. Both young drivers were eager to prove themselves after being promoted by Red Bull, aware that securing a seat in the senior Red Bull Racing team was the ultimate ambition.
Verstappen ultimately prevailed and was promoted to Red Bull’s main team in 2016, famously winning his debut race after replacing Daniil Kvyat. Meanwhile, Sainz transitioned to Renault, focusing on the next steps of his Formula 1 career.
Now, with Williams and the upcoming 2026 regulation changes as the main focus for team principal James Vowles, Sainz and Albon share a united goal: to return Williams to the podium and compete at the front of the grid once again.
This evolving dynamic highlights the different phases of Sainz’s career—from a fiercely competitive rookie alongside Max Verstappen to a more collaborative and honest teammate relationship with Albon—all while continuously striving for success in the ever-challenging world of Formula 1.
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