The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix supplied a wake-up name to Williams when it comes to how a lot work stays to be accomplished, however Carlos Sainz says the group is marking itself as a drive to be reckoned with sooner or later. In truth, he says in some methods he truly welcomes the downturn on the closing race as offering a spur for low season good points.
Sainz scored a shock podium end in Qatar one week earlier than the ultimate race of the season, however couldn’t comply with that with a point-scoring consequence at Yas Marina Circuit as he completed thirteenth. With Alex Albon crossing the road a couple of seconds behind his teammate, Williams was uncompetitive in Abu Dhabi, and Sainz views it as a very good motivator for the group heading into the brief low season.
“I feel we had been beginning twelfth and we had been the 12-fastest automobile,” Sainz stated. “With nothing thrilling taking place in that race, we’re at all times going to complete there – clearly, with [Lewis] Hamilton making it by the pack – to be thirteenth. I feel we simply did all the things we might to complete within the factors.
“There was simply merely not sufficient tempo this weekend, which I hope it serves as a very good wake-up name to the group in case after a podium you come again to Abu Dhabi considering you are going to be sturdy. Now we had been fairly weak this weekend. I am truly glad that this occurred, so we’re going right into a winter with out falling asleep.”
Regardless of the ultimate race disappointment, Sainz says the best way he has been capable of safe sturdy ends in the second half of the yr exhibits simply how a lot potential Williams has transferring into the subsequent set of technical laws from 2026.
“I feel for positive it has been a really difficult first half of the season, however I hope all that frustration that I acquired from that first half, even when we had been fast, even when the difference was good, if all that frustration meant that then two podiums had been meant to return and one podium within the dash, I positively welcome that frustration and that lack of factors within the first half.
“However I feel within the second half I proved to everybody – and myself and Williams proved to everybody – why we made this change, what we are attempting to realize right here and why I feel we’re a drive now to be reckoned with for the longer term.
“For those who would have advised me final yr that I might have scored these podiums and a P5 within the constructors’ like we’re, I might have taken it. I feel general now we have to take it as a really constructive first yr with Williams.”
