WILLIAMS' REVIVAL: CARLOS SAINZ BREAKS 10-YEAR DROUGHT, TRIUMPHS AFTER FERRARI EXIT
Carlos Sainz earned more podiums (2) than Lewis Hamilton (1) in 2025, but said he wasn't happy about Hamilton's bad luck, instead focusing on vindicating his move to Williams.
Not many F1 fans would've guessed Carlos Sainz would grab more podiums than Lewis Hamilton in 2025, especially considering Hamilton's move to Ferrari.
Going into the year, expectations were sky-high for Hamilton, mostly since Ferrari almost clinched the constructors’ title last season.
Instead, Ferrari had a terrible year, finishing fourth. McLaren dominated, Mercedes did well, and Red Bull leaned heavily on Max Verstappen for almost all their points.
If you had to sum up Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari in a word, it would be disappointing.
Team boss Fred Vasseur is feeling the heat as 2026 approaches. Ferrari knows they need to ace the new rules to avoid another disaster.
On the bright side, Carlos Sainz’s new team, Williams, finished right behind Ferrari, even though they were quite a few points behind.
Sainz needed time to get comfortable at Williams, but he was great after the summer break. He became the first Williams driver since 2015 to get multiple podiums in a single season.
When asked about outscoring Hamilton in podiums, Sainz's answer says a lot about his personality.
Carlos Sainz is ‘not happy at all’ about having more 2025 podiums than Lewis Hamilton.
When Marca asked Sainz if he was happy about his two podiums in 2025 compared to Hamilton’s, Sainz said, “No, I’m happy with my two podiums, but not at all happy about someone else’s bad luck.
“I’m happy I got two podiums with Williams in Baku and Qatar, plus another one in the Austin Sprint. I’m happy I did it after people doubted I could.
“When I said I was moving to Williams, I felt some people pitied me, which felt weird.
“Some journalists, social media… I didn’t see it that way.
“I saw it as a new chapter, another chance. When I got to the track on Tuesday for the 2024 Abu Dhabi test, wearing my white helmet and suit, and got into the Williams, I was just thinking about the future, not the past.
“Things turned out better than I expected this year, and that’s what makes me happiest.”
Carlos Sainz keeps up his amazing F1 record at Williams after joining his fourth team.
Since his debut with Toro Rosso in 2015, Williams is the fifth team Sainz has raced for in F1.
Sainz had a great first season, but with Max Verstappen as his teammate, he was easily overlooked.
Throughout his career, Sainz has moved to Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams. Each time, the team he joined improved in the constructors’ standings during his first year.
Sainz picked Williams over Sauber (now Audi). Now, Audi must be wondering if they could have done more to hire the four-time race winner.
David Coulthard has praised Sainz. It would have been easy for Sainz to feel bitter about Hamilton taking his seat after he spent years helping Ferrari improve, but he’s proved again he can handle any situation he’s put in.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
