Carlos Sainz has revealed that bringing Williams back to its race-winning days has become his “life project” after joining the Grove outfit at the start of the year.
The Spanish driver found himself out of his Ferrari seat at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season to make way for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at the Maranello squad. After taking some time to weigh up his options, Sainz ultimately signed with Williams, buying into the long-term project led by team principal James Vowles.
Since his arrival at Williams, Sainz has been working to adjust to the new team amid a season of bad luck. He currently sits 18th in the drivers’ standings with 16 points. In comparison, his team-mate Alex Albon is seventh with 70 points. But the tricky adjustment period has not demotivated the 31-year-old driver as he has set his sights on the next six months.
“Nothing would make me happier in my life than going into a project as young as Williams is and making it to the top with them,” Sainz told Motorsport Week.
“I think that’s the best story an athlete can do, is build a family and win with that family of people.
“I feel Williams is a good place; it’s already showing a lot of progress compared to last year in that sense. And yeah, nothing motivates me more than bringing back one of the most historical teams in Formula 1 back to winning ways. I always say to James it’s my life project now, it’s what I want to make happen.”
Although the long-term plans of Williams were part of what persuaded Sainz to join the Vowles-led team, he confirmed that he prefers to focus on the next six months.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
“I prefer to think more short-term and cover the steps more every six months,” he added.
“I like thinking in one six months by six months. Now we’re defining next year’s car, and we have also six months ahead of us where we need to improve the race team, weekend execution to make sure that by any chance next year’s car is allowing us to fight for bigger things than this year’s car, we are not making the mistakes that we’re doing this year in weekend execution.
“So my focus is always six months ahead more or less in F1, because that’s where the driver can have an influence. It’s on the next six months of the project you can develop things on the simulator for six months’ time, you can develop the race team strategy, weekend execution in six months’ time.
“So I always have a very six-month vision of where we want to be in six months and that’s where I try to have the most influence.”
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