Sainz partnership key to Williams’ F1 2025 success

Alex Albon has highlighted his incredible partnership with team-mate Carlos Sainz as a key reason for Williams enjoying its best Formula 1 season for eight years. 

The historic British outfit came fifth in the 2025 standings, which is its best result since 2017 after it spent years at the back across the late 2010s to early 2020s. 

That down period came during financial struggles under the Williams family’s ownership, in which it would have to sign pay drivers, who weren’t good enough for F1, to simply keep afloat.

But the takeover by Dorilton Capital, plus the introduction of a cost cap in 2021, led to the team’s resurgence and 2025 also saw it score multiple podiums for the first time in 10 years. 

That was a result of Sainz claiming third in Azerbaijan and Qatar amid his debut season for Williams, having joined from Ferrari after it opted to sign Lewis Hamilton in his place. 

The arrival of the four-time grand prix winner was nevertheless a huge boost, as it finally gave Williams a second driver as good as Albon who, since joining in 2022, had team-mates like Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant. 

When asked at the Abu Dhabi finale how much of an impact Sainz had, the 29-year-old said: “Definitely different in terms of a culture and mindset. I would say that, being totally honest, just as an approach between the two cars, much more equal in the way that the team has treated us.

“I could definitely say I had, for the majority, the preferential treatment in previous years. In terms of us two working together, [there is] more backwards and forwards in terms of feedback ping-pong, where we’re just having the same opinions about the car.

“We speak in a very similar language, I think. Carlos is more experienced than I am, but in terms of our age and our approach, we handle things in a very similar way.”

Albon therefore thinks the 31-year-old has helped him become a better driver, with 2025 no doubt being the Thai-Briton’s best season yet since making his F1 debut in 2019. 

“In terms of pushing me, yes, it’s great to have someone,” added Albon, who finished eighth in the 2025 championship and one spot higher than Sainz.

“It’s a different data set to have a look at, different driving style to me. We want similar things in the car, but we actually normally arrive to qualifying with a very similar set-up.

“I feel like every driver would say this, when you have a team-mate who’s a step up, you learn more. There’s more to learn in terms of your driving styles. There are some corners that you were previously quick at, which you’re now the same as.

“And there are some corners that you need to learn, adapt, drive differently. And I’m sure it goes the other way for Carlos too. It’s been good to see.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned from Carlos is more the non-driving side of things. So the way that we conduct meetings and develop the car in the simulator and go around our free practice programmes, things like that, you can see the experience with Carlos in that way.”

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— The Autosport.com Team