The Williams team reflects on the Italian GP with mixed feelings. While Alex Albon scored well with a seventh-place finish, teammate Carlos Sainz only managed to reach P11. This is indicative of Sainz’s debut year with the British racing team. Although Williams is experiencing one of its best seasons in years, it is largely due to Albon’s performance. Team boss James Vowles hopes to help Sainz bounce back in Baku.
James Vowles emphasized the need to boost Carlos Sainz after a disappointing race weekend in Monza. “First of all, I want to congratulate Alex on his seventh place,” the Englishman responded to the press. “It was a tough fight, but he had a fantastic first stint on the hard tyres. At the same time, Sainz, who has really shown team spirit, also contributed to that performance,” Vowles assured.
Reflecting on Sainz’s race, Vowles expressed his regret over the missed opportunity for points and emphasized the team’s commitment to support the four-time race winner. “It really saddens me because he drove a very good race,” said the Williams executive. “He deserved good points in Monza. I was confident that he would at least finish ninth. That makes it frustrating to come away empty-handed. I know how he must be feeling now, and it’s our job to help him bounce back.”
The Rise of Williams
“I think it demonstrates what we’ve been saying all along: ‘We have a fast car, but we’re missing opportunities in qualifying,'” continued Vowles. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism about the team’s performance, especially with a Mercedes and a Ferrari in sight: “The fact that we can compete with Mercedes and Ferrari tells me that we’re generally doing a good job.” Looking ahead to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Vowles expressed confidence in the potential on the narrow street circuit. “Baku is another track where we should perform well. Once we’ve mastered qualifying, I’m confident that we’ll be fighting for good points there.”
Meanwhile, Logan Sargeant‘s performance strengthens Williams’ position in the constructors’ championship. With eight races to go, the British team has already scored 86 points. For comparison – between 2018 and 2024, the team only amassed 84 World Championship points. Williams now stands as the ‘best of the rest’, in a strong fifth place in the final standings.
- 2025 – 86 points (Fifth place)
- 2024 – 17 points (Ninth place)
- 2023 – 28 points (Seventh place)
- 2022 – 8 points (Tenth place)
- 2021 – 23 points (Eighth place)
- 2020 – 0 points (Tenth place)
- 2019 – 1 point (Tenth place)
- 2018 – 7 points (Tenth place)
