Last Updated on March 1 2025, 8:21 am
Williams’ surprise pace in 2025? Carlos Sainz analyses the team’s test performance – Carlos Sainz grabbed the headlines on the second day of pre-season testing for the 2025 Formula One season in Bahrain, setting the fastest lap of the session in his Williams. The Spanish driver, who joined the British team after four seasons with Ferrari, recorded a best time of 1:29.348 minutes, edging out Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari by just 31 thousandths of a second.
Despite the impressive result, Sainz was quick to play down any premature excitement about Williams suddenly becoming a top team. While his lap time put Williams in the spotlight, Sainz remained realistic about the team’s true competitiveness. “I think it’s a bit early for Williams, to be honest,” he admitted. “I don’t think we’ve taken the necessary step to fight with the top teams this year.”
Sainz’s comments were a reminder that pre-season test results can often be misleading. Teams run different programmes with different fuel loads, tyre choices and engine settings, making direct comparisons difficult. While Williams may have looked competitive on the timesheets, Sainz believes that the gap to the front-runners remains considerable.
Adapting quickly, but looking for more
Despite his scepticism about Williams’ overall competitiveness, Sainz was pleased with his own adaptation to the car. He completed nearly 130 laps during the session, gaining valuable data and understanding of the FW47. However, he admitted that he still has a long way to go in fine-tuning his driving style to unlock the full potential of the car.
“You can manipulate your lap time by five seconds, so being one or two tenths ahead means nothing to us,” explained Sainz. His comment underlined the complex nature of pre-season testing, where a single fast lap is far less significant than consistent performance over several stints.
One of the key areas of focus for Sainz was optimising the car’s set-up. Although he felt comfortable at the wheel, he wished he had more time to experiment with different configurations.
“I wish I could have tried five, six, seven more set-ups than the ones I tested,” he revealed. “I don’t know exactly where I can go with the set-up, I don’t know exactly where I can go with the driving style, where I can get those last few tenths of lap time and performance out of it.”
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Did Williams have an easier time than expected?
Sainz also touched on an interesting aspect of the session – whether Williams’ pace was the result of a more favourable set-up compared to other teams. A key factor in this discussion was the C4 tyre compound, which caused him some unexpected handling problems. He spun in Turn 1 while running on the softer compound, and expressed confusion at its lack of effectiveness at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“It seems that the C4 just doesn’t work for this track,” Sainz remarked. “Which is strange, because in the past the C4 in Bahrain would still give you two or three tenths in a qualifying simulation.
This raises the question of whether Williams’ set-up and tyre management allowed them to achieve a more competitive lap time compared to their rivals.
However, with teams concealing their true pace during testing, it remains to be seen whether Williams’ speed was genuine or the result of more aggressive running plans.
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Sainz stresses need for more testing
Beyond the immediate results, Sainz expressed his frustration at the limited testing opportunities in modern Formula One. With only a handful of days before the start of the season, drivers have little time to adjust to their new cars and teams.
“With the current situation of F1 testing these days, testing doesn’t really exist,” he remarked. “Which is frustrating for me because I believe that’s exactly where a Formula 1 team can improve the car and where a driver can influence development.”
Sainz’s words highlight a growing concern among drivers, particularly those changing teams. Unlike previous eras when pre-season testing lasted for several weeks, today’s restrictions mean that drivers have to adapt quickly with minimal track time.
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Still far from 100 per cent
Sainz admitted that he is still a long way from feeling completely at home in the Williams FW47. He compared his current adaptation phase to his time at Ferrari, where he spent four years refining his driving style and working closely with the engineers.
“For me, 100 per cent is my last reference point, which is four years in one team, which was Ferrari,” explained Sainz. “Obviously, after only one and a half days in the car and two months in the team, I’m still far from that 100 per cent”.
His statement reflects the challenges drivers face when moving between teams. Learning the behaviour of a new car, understanding its limitations and building chemistry with the engineers takes time – something Sainz feels he has not yet had enough of.
Williams’ reality check: Work to be done
Despite the encouraging lap time, Sainz maintained that Williams still has a long way to go before they can truly challenge the top teams. While the team has made progress in improving the car, the true pecking order will only become clear as the season progresses.
“We have definitely improved the car and we are going in the right direction, but it is still too early to make any precise statements,” stressed Sainz. “Of course you could see yesterday that I was trying to go fast, which is not usually the case in testing, and I’m sure the top teams haven’t shown everything yet.
His comments suggest that while Williams may be gaining ground, they are still not in the same league as Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Test times can be misleading and only when the lights go out at the start of the season will the true performance of the FW47 be revealed.
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Williams’ 2025 ambitions remain uncertain
While Carlos Sainz’s fastest lap in testing has raised eyebrows, the Spaniard remains cautious about Williams’ true competitiveness. His comments suggest that while the team has made progress, it is not yet in a position to consistently challenge for wins or podiums. With testing restrictions making adaptation difficult, Sainz believes there is still a lot of work to be done before Williams can be considered a true contender.
As the 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on Williams to see if their pace in testing translates into race day performance. Whether they have made a real step forward or are simply running an aggressive testing programme remains an open question – one that will only be answered when the races begin.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
