The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix offered a wake-up name to Williams when it comes to how a lot work stays to be executed, however Carlos Sainz says the staff is marking itself as a power to be reckoned with sooner or later. Actually, he says in some methods he truly welcomes the downturn on the last race as offering a spur for low season positive factors.
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 outcome at Yas Marina Circuit as he completed thirteenth. With Alex Albon crossing the road just a few seconds behind his teammate, Williams was uncompetitive in Abu Dhabi, and Sainz views it as a superb motivator for the staff heading into the brief low season.
“I believe we have been beginning twelfth and we have been the 12-fastest automobile,” Sainz mentioned. “With nothing thrilling taking place in that race, we’re all the time going to complete there – clearly, with [Lewis] Hamilton making it via the pack – to be thirteenth. I believe we simply did every thing we might to complete within the factors.
“There was simply merely not sufficient tempo this weekend, which I hope it serves as a superb wake-up name to the staff in case after a podium you come again to Abu Dhabi pondering you are going to be sturdy. Now we have been fairly weak this weekend. I am truly completely satisfied that this occurred, so we’re going right into a winter with out falling asleep.”
Regardless of the ultimate race disappointment, Sainz says the way in which he has been in a position to safe sturdy leads to the second half of the 12 months reveals simply how a lot potential Williams has transferring into the subsequent set of technical laws from 2026.
“I believe for positive it has been a really difficult first half of the season, however I hope all that frustration that I bought from that first half, even when we have been fast, even when the variation was good, if all that frustration meant that then two podiums have been meant to come back and one podium within the dash, I undoubtedly welcome that frustration and that lack of factors within the first half.
“However I believe within the second half I proved to everybody – and myself and Williams proved to everybody – why we made this swap, what we try to attain right here and why I believe we’re a power now to be reckoned with for the longer term.
“When you would have instructed me final 12 months that I’d have scored these podiums and a P5 within the constructors’ like we’re, I’d have taken it. I believe general we’ve got to take it as a really constructive first 12 months with Williams.”
