Why Carlos Sainz had to prove ‘a lot of people wrong’ on his way to becoming an F1 driver

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Carlos Sainz is about to enter his 11th season in Formula 1 with a new team as he jumps ship from Ferrari and starts a new chapter with Williams.

The Spaniard has been replaced by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at the Scuderia who he had just completed four seasons with.

Sainz wanted a top drive and his skills warranted that sort of position, but roles at Red Bull and Mercedes didn’t fall into his lap and he was forced to move to a midfield team.

Sainz was also handed an unexpected gift by Ferrari as he bowed out from the team by completing some laps in an old car at Fiorano alongside his father.

Ferrari has already managed to perfect one aspect of Hamilton’s 2025 car with a floor they developed this season performing well when put to the test. It’s something which may leave the Spaniard feeling even more dejected about losing a title-contending car.

Williams are a team ascending through the pack though and should offer him the chance to compete for points regularly in the midfield, and maybe even for the odd podium.

Carlos Sainz always had to fight ‘jealousy’ to reach F1

Team boss James Vowles has been clear about Williams’ long-term visions to reach the front of the grid and compete for championships.

They’ve invested heavily in the future and they have assembled a very good driver pairing for the next two seasons with Alex Albon already at the team joining Sainz.

At the age of 30, he has been in the sport for a while now and despite having a father who is notorious for his rally exploits, it wasn’t always easy for him growing up.

READ MORE: Carlos Sainz shares the unusual moment he signed his Ferrari contract ahead of the 2021 season

His cousin and manager Carlos Onoro told Netflix’s Drive to Survive cameras (Season one, Episode two) that he had to face a lot of jealousy growing up.

“Obviously, if you know something about sports, Carlos’ father is an icon of motorsport,” he said. “For Carlos Jr, growing up with his dad has had positives and negatives. You’ve got free advice from a legend.

“At the same time, I think it was a little bit tough because everywhere that Carlos went racing he was pointed out – ‘that’s the son of Carlos Sainz, I want to beat that guy!’. That kind of jealousy. He has had to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Will Carlos Sainz ever reach the F1 podium again?

With the likes of Fernando Alonso and Hamilton racing into their 40s, Sainz may only be halfway through his career if he can maintain a strong level of performance over the next decade.

It means that he should have plenty of races ahead of him to get back to the top, even if it takes the Williams project some time to fire up.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton has now held the same ‘secret meetings’ as Carlos Sainz did before joining Ferrari

Lando Norris thinks Sainz will make Williams a top team and his track record suggests that could be the case after helping McLaren and Ferrari to the front in the last five years.

The 2026 F1 regulations are an opportunity for them to make some more progress and challenge the likes of Aston Martin and Alpine.

For 2025 though, they may need to rely on a minor miracle to enjoy anything more than regular points in their quest to win titles.