Carlos Sainz is excited to join Williams and aims to restore the legendary British racing team to its former glory. This week, he had his first experience with the FW46, Williams’ vehicle for 2024, in Abu Dhabi. The Spanish driver acknowledges that there is a lot of work to be done before he can achieve the same successes with the British team as he did with Ferrari, but he is greatly motivated by the challenge.
During the post-season test at Yas Marina – and secretly also during a special filming day – Carlos Sainz was able to familiarize himself with his new team. The 30-year-old driver signed a multi-year contract with the Grove-based team this summer. While the team was tweaking the setup of the FW46, Sainz clocked the second-fastest time of the day, behind his former Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The Spanish star won four Grand Prix races for Scuderia, but is now fully focused on the challenge at Williams.
“I’m not worried about anything,” he responded to Formula1.com. “I know everything will be fine. I also succeeded at Ferrari.” The move from Ferrari to Williams is a big step. While the Italians narrowly missed the title, Williams finished ninth this year. Nevertheless, the team, which received a new boost in 2020 through investment company Dorilton Capital, is on an upward trajectory. It’s no wonder that James Vowles, who started as team boss in 2023, was able to convince Sainz to choose Williams.
Farewell to Ferrari
“Honestly, I think people won’t believe it, but I’m really looking forward to what’s coming,” said Carlos Sainz Jr. “This project is hugely motivating. A legendary team like Williams simply has to become a top team again.” The smooth operator and Ferrari parted ways amicably, although Sainz admitted that it was sometimes challenging to race knowing he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton.
“That’s never ideal,” he explained. “Of course, Ferrari supported me throughout the season, but it’s always complicated when you leave at the end of the year. Still, we managed to give it our all throughout the year. Especially the last few weeks were very beautiful. I will definitely draw strength from that for future projects.”
