At the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz crossed the finish line in eighth place, but the Williams driver was far from satisfied with the result. Starting from a promising sixth on the grid, Sainz believed the team’s FW47 had the pace to challenge for a top-five finish, outpacing rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari at Imola. However, a combination of strategic missteps and unfortunate timing left the Spaniard visibly frustrated, marking another weekend where Williams failed to capitalize on their potential.
Sainz, who has quickly adapted to life at Williams after his move from Ferrari, expressed his disappointment post-race, highlighting the team’s competitive edge. He noted that the car’s performance was strong enough to fight with the front-runners, a sentiment echoed by his teammate Alex Albon’s impressive fifth-place finish. Albon, starting seventh, capitalized on a more favorable strategy, narrowly missing out on a podium. Sainz, however, found himself hampered by an early pit stop on lap 13, switching from medium to hard tires, which dropped him into traffic. This decision, which Sainz later revealed was “never in the plan,” forced him to fight back from 15th place, a challenge compounded by the notoriously difficult overtaking conditions at Imola.
The race was further disrupted by a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and a full Safety Car period, which helped Sainz climb back into the points but couldn’t salvage the result he felt was within reach. Speaking to Formula1.com, Sainz remarked that finishing eighth, ninth, and eighth in the last three races was “scant reward” for a car showing genuine promise. He emphasized the need for Williams to improve their Sunday execution, stating that the team’s pace deserved better outcomes. His frustration was palpable when he admitted to nearly “disobeying” the team’s call to pit early, a decision he felt cost him a shot at a higher finish.
Williams team principal James Vowles acknowledged the strategic misstep but praised the team’s overall progress. The P6 and P7 qualifying positions for Sainz and Albon marked Williams’ best qualifying at Imola since the circuit’s return in 2020, showcasing the FW47’s unexpected competitiveness despite halted development for 2025. Vowles highlighted the collaborative dynamic between Sainz and Albon, noting that their combined experience has elevated the team’s midfield standing, with Williams now holding a comfortable fifth in the constructors’ championship, 31 points ahead of Haas.
Sainz’s performance at Imola also drew attention for outshining his former team, Ferrari, who struggled in front of their home crowd. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to reach Q3, finishing 11th and 12th in qualifying, while Sainz’s blistering Q2 lap set the pace before traffic in Q3 cost him a potential top-five grid slot. Despite his current satisfaction with Williams, Sainz didn’t rule out a future return to Ferrari, telling Corriere dello Sport that he’d consider a call from Maranello. For now, though, his focus remains on maximizing Williams’ potential, with the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix offering a fresh opportunity to turn their pace into points.