Williams have ‘already adopted’ one Ferrari tactic this season after Carlos Sainz move

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Carlos Sainz’s move from Ferrari to Williams has been steady but unspectacular so far this season.

At the halfway stage of the 2025 Formula 1 season, there is a 33-point gap between Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

Albon entered the 2025 F1 season under pressure, with many fans wondering how he would deal with Sainz as a teammate.

The Thai driver has never won a race, and his only opportunity in a top team was brought to an end in 2019 when Red Bull dropped him for Sergio Perez.

However, Albon has been one of the stars of the midfield this season, and has only failed to score points at four of the first 12 races.

Sainz has been unlucky at times this season, with Charles Leclerc crashing into him at the end of the British Grand Prix to deny him another chance of scoring points.

Ted Kravitz was left questioning Sainz’s start at Williams, but in the grand scheme of the team’s long-term ambitions, team principal James Vowles isn’t worried about the deficit between his two drivers.

Williams’ sporting director Sven Smeets has explained why Sainz has been so ‘fantastic’ to work with and some of the knowledge he’s already brought with him from Ferrari.

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Williams have learned Ferrari’s tyre preparation from Carlos Sainz

Smeets was talking about Sainz in an interview with Motorsport and explained: “Carlos is a fantastic person to work with.

“He’s made a big impact across the board – not just on the car and technical side, but also in how the race team operates and how we’re preparing for 2026.

“His experience at multiple teams and in race-winning machinery has brought us something we were probably still missing.

“As he mentioned himself, he had to get used to the philosophy of our car.

“There’s a big difference between our car and the Ferrari. But that’s going better and better now. He’s working really well with Alex Albon.

“We’re very happy, and I’m expecting a strong second half of the season.

“Over the first six months, he’s pointed out a lot of things we could do differently or better. Some are things we can only implement next year, but many short-term gains we’ve already adopted.”

Smeets was asked to give an example of a technique Williams have picked up from Sainz from his time at Ferrari, and continued: “Preparing the tyres behind the garage – how you warm them and how you stack them.

“Some of Carlos’ previous teams did that slightly differently in wet conditions.

“It’s about small details, but they can gain you milliseconds. And when that adds up, it becomes a tenth. That’s when it starts to matter.”

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Guenther Steiner wonders if Carlos Sainz now regrets Williams move

Williams currently sit fifth in the constructors’ championship, but whether they can maintain that position is another matter.

Vowles’ team have been concentrating on next year’s car for as long as the rules have allowed them to, and while they have brought new parts this season, they’ve not made the same strides forward as teams like Sauber.

In the long run, that may prove to be beneficial to Williams, even if they potentially lose some prize money this season.

However, Guenther Steiner has questioned whether Sainz regrets joining Williams instead of Sauber this year.

Nico Hulkenberg achieved a monumental podium at the British Grand Prix for Sauber, finally ending his long wait for a top-three finish in Formula 1.

Sainz may be willing to give up moments like that as long as Williams are where they believe they should be over the next few seasons.