Carlos Sainz has admitted that he has no idea how much he is going to miss being in contention for victories in Formula 1 until he begins the 2025 season with Williams.
Sainz had been angling to renew his deal with Ferrari when the bombshell dropped prior to a wheel being turned last season that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him.
With Mercedes and Red Bull overlooking him, Sainz was resigned to a move to a team outside the leading group, culminating in him choosing Williams as his destination.
The Spaniard’s four-season spell with Ferrari concluded with a second place in Abu Dhabi as the Italian marque missed out on the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren.
Prior to that moment, Sainz had conceded his Ferrari exit would be “bittersweet” as he expects his now erstwhile team to be in a position to mount a title challenge in 2025.
However, Sainz has addressed that he is unable to pinpoint how much he will miss racing at the sharp end without having experienced a single race with his new side.
Asked whether he is having to adapt his mindset with his return to a team that is poised to be in the midfield, Sainz told media including Motorsport Week: “My honest point on that is I don’t know how I’m going to react to fighting for P7 to P15, I don’t know.
“I don’t know how much I’m going to miss it. I don’t know how much fun I’m going to find it. Maybe you need ask me more into the year how I’m finding it.”
Sainz ‘proud’ to represent Williams
Sainz was persuaded to turn down other proposals to become involved in the rebuild that James Vowles is overseeing as he bids to revitalise the illustrious team’s prospects.
The four-time F1 race winner is convinced that he has made the right choice, insisting he is enthusiastic to work alongside new team-mate Alex Albon to elevate Williams.
“But the only thing I can tell you is I’m very happy,” he continued. “I’m very motivated. I’m excited. I feel supported. I feel a team full of good energy, positive energy.
“I have a team principal and a team that fully trusts in my abilities and that want to listen to what I say. And I have confidence in my abilities to help the team to move forward.
“I like Alex as a team-mate and how we can both push this team forward. So the whole project, the whole thing, just motivates me a lot and I’m just looking forward to it.
“Then, how much I miss a win or how much I miss that and how jealous will I be of people that are fighting for positions that I used to be fighting, I cannot say how much I’ll feel of that.
“But I can tell you that I’m proud and happy to be part of a team like Williams and to join a project that the team has trusted me to help them in that recovery process.”
READ MORE – Carlos Sainz claims an F1 podium with Williams would be his ‘proudest moment’
