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.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
