Carlos Sainz Given Astonishing Verdict in Williams Revival

 Carlos Sainz has been handed remarkable praise in the context of Williams Racing’s resurgence, with former world champion Jacques Villeneuve claiming the Spanish driver has “basically changed the team” after its strongest Formula 1 season in almost a decade.

Williams collected 137 points during the 2025 campaign through the combined efforts of Sainz and Alex Albon, just one point short of the total achieved by Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa in 2016. On both occasions, the Grove-based outfit finished fifth in the constructors’ championship, a position it also occupied in 2017—albeit with a significantly lower haul of 83 points.

By that stage, however, Williams had already entered a period of decline that would deepen over the following years. Outdated facilities, ageing infrastructure, and an inconsistent technical direction left the team languishing at the back of the grid for multiple seasons. That trajectory has begun to reverse under the leadership of team principal James Vowles, who has overseen a long-overdue modernisation programme and set Williams on a clear recovery path.

The signing of Sainz represented a key piece of that rebuilding effort. Although his start to the season proved challenging, the four-time grand prix winner steadily built momentum as the year progressed. He ended the campaign with two podium finishes and delivered a particularly strong run of form in the closing phase of the season.

Across the final eight rounds of 2025, Sainz outscored Albon by 48 points to three, finishing the year just nine points behind his team-mate in the overall standings. The figures underlined not only his late-season consistency but also his growing influence on the team’s competitive direction.

Sainz’s Formula 1 career has been defined by frequent moves between teams. He has previously driven for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari before joining Williams. Throughout that journey, he has built a reputation as a driver capable of elevating the organisations he represents.

That reputation has now been reinforced by Villeneuve, the last driver to win a Formula 1 world championship with Williams in 1997 and now an ambassador for the team.

“I was surprised by the smaller teams like Williams and Sauber, Williams especially,” Villeneuve told PokerScout when asked who he considered the unsung hero of the Formula 1 season.

“Carlos Sainz has basically changed the team. The team stepped forward and got results that were much higher than what they were anticipating because the car had really evolved.”

Villeneuve also placed Sauber—which is transitioning into Audi—in a similar category before returning to his assessment of Sainz’s impact.

“You could say the same with Sauber, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. They were a bit of a surprise,” he added.

However, Villeneuve made clear that Sainz’s influence at Williams was not unexpected.

“I was expecting it from Sainz. That’s why he was signed,” said the 1997 world champion.

He concluded by highlighting Williams’ improved strategic clarity in driver selection.

“The team is making the right racing decisions in terms of the drivers. It’s racing, after all. And that’s what they’re doing.”

The verdict from Villeneuve underlines that Williams’ revival is being driven not only by technical upgrades and structural reform, but also by decisive personnel choices. With Sainz playing a central role in that process, Williams is increasingly viewed as a team that has rediscovered competitive relevance in modern Formula 1.