With seven Grands Prix remaining on the calendar, Ferrari reflects on a disappointing season. The team has not won a single race in 2025, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is still waiting for his first podium. According to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, Ferrari is experiencing the harsh consequences of Carlos Sainz Jr‘s departure in 2025. The Scuderia now watches the Spaniard shine at rival Williams.
The SF-25 proved to be only the fourth fastest car in recent months, despite the team holding second place in the constructors’ championship for a long time. This was mainly due to the consistent point finishes of both drivers. After all, at Red Bull and Mercedes, they rely on leaders Max Verstappen and George Russell; Yuki Tsunoda and Kimi Antonelli both had an inconsistent season.
The contrast with Sainz could not have been greater during the past race weekend in Azerbaijan. The Spaniard delivered Williams its first podium since 2021 with an impressive qualification and a flawless race. According to Villeneuve, the impact of Sainz at new teams is a recurring pattern. “If you look at his career, it always took a while – perhaps half a season – before he got up to speed with a new team,” the Canadian told OLBG. “He always needs some time, but during that period he ensures that the entire team starts to perform better. That’s what happened in every team he joined.”
‘Ferrari’s Decline Without Sainz’
Villeneuve emphasizes that Sainz is often underestimated compared to his teammates. “At one point, he often had a teammate who was perhaps only a few hundredths faster,” he continued. “However, that teammate was also faster thanks to Sainz’s work. Eventually, Sainz himself became faster. He was actually not inferior to Charles Leclerc, as many people would like to think. And every time he left a team, that team went downhill. Every time. And that’s the case now with Ferrari.”
Meanwhile, Williams is benefiting from the arrival of Sainz and seems to be on its way to the top five in the constructors’ championship. Villeneuve sees the Spaniard growing into a leader within the British team. “No, the turnaround at Williams is not due to slow and gradual improvements. Lately, Sainz has simply shown that he was on top of things, although things often went wrong. But at this moment, all that hard work is starting to pay off.” For Sainz himself, the situation is ideal, Villeneuve believes: “Sainz can be quite satisfied with what’s happening at Williams. Because now he is seen as the team builder, as a great asset, and he is appreciated there.”
