Carlos Sainz’s adventure in blue gets off to a strong start as the Spaniard completes 146 laps during post-season testing
It’s too early to draw conclusions, but as the saying goes, “a good start bodes well.” Carlos Sainz’s new chapter with Williams begins with a promising performance. The Spaniard completed 146 laps throughout the day during the Abu Dhabi post-season testing (second only to Liam Lawson, who completed 156 laps), collecting crucial data for the Grove-based team.
While fellow Williams driver Luke Browning secured 11th place overall with 105 laps, Carlos Sainz managed to clock a 1:23.635, placing him second in the day’s standings.
Ahead of Sainz was Charles Leclerc, who posted the fastest time of the session with a 1:23.510. The former teammates remain closely matched, now as competitors rather than as part of the same team.
Sainz shines in testing: already faster than Albon!
One standout statistic has excited the Williams camp: Carlos Sainz lapped 186 milliseconds faster than Alex Albon’s qualifying time, which had placed him 16th on Saturday. Sainz was also 277 milliseconds quicker than Franco Colapinto’s 19th-place effort, which was just ahead of rookie Jack Doohan.
The times and rankings give hope for the season ahead. Sainz has already stated that podiums and wins will be very challenging in 2025, but with so many races and close competition, anything can happen.
Photo: Formula 1