Last year’s major story was Lewis Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari. This not only ended the long-standing partnership between the British driver and Mercedes, but it also forced Carlos Sainz to leave Scuderia and look for a new team. After much consideration, the Spaniard chose Williams, a decision that Günther Steiner believes Sainz now regrets.
Carlos Sainz has been a driver for Williams for half a season now. The Spaniard currently ranks fifteenth in the drivers’ championship, seven places below teammate Alexander Albon and nine places below his successor at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton. Team boss James Vowles previously indicated that Williams is sacrificing the current season for the 2026 season when the new regulations come into effect.
‘Difficult Times at Williams’
Former team boss Günther Steiner, however, believes that Sainz might regret his decision to join the midfield team. “I think he’s generally having a tough time at Williams right now. He’s struggling a lot, and Carlos is a very good driver. Williams had a very good start to the year, but that was mainly with Albon, not Carlos. Carlos has never really achieved good results.”
Albon has made it into the top ten eight times this season, while Sainz has only managed to do so six times. Albon’s best result in 2025 so far was a fifth place three times – in Australia, Miami, and Emilia-Romagna. Meanwhile, the Spaniard has not ranked higher than eighth place. On the other hand, Nico Hülkenberg achieved the first podium of his career with the Sauber/Audi team at Silverstone. “There’s clearly some frustration,” Steiner continues. “And if Carlos looks back, he might think: I should have gone with Audi. But hey, he made the decision, so he has to live with the consequences.”
