Sainz's bold move to Williams pays off with top 10 qualifying at Australian GP

Dominika Jordan
Mar 15, 2025, 06:36 AM ET

Carlos Sainz, formerly of Ferrari, expressed his satisfaction with his decision to join Williams after both he and teammate Alex Albon secured positions in the top 10 during Saturday's Australian Grand Prix qualifying round.

The accomplished Spaniard, who was replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, is set to start 10th in Sunday's race, with Albon starting four slots ahead at Albert Park.

Williams, who ended last season ninth in the constructors' championship, aim to be the leading team in the midfield after demonstrating significant performance enhancements during preseason testing.

Sainz, who clinched two race victories with Ferrari last year, opted for Williams over the last-placed Sauber, despite Sauber becoming the Audi factory team in 2026.

"Very happy, very proud of the whole team, the way we've managed to progress through the winter and put together a car that is allowing us to be in Q3 for the first time in many years with both cars. I think it's great," the 30-year-old remarked.

"And it can only get better because I have so much more potential to unlock as soon as I understand how to extract lap time in Q3.

"I was pretty strong in testing on the weekend, but clearly when it came to Q3, I didn't know where to find the lap time, and I did a few mistakes, and now I need to build that for me."

When asked if Williams' performance during the first race weekend had justified his move to the former champions, he confidently responded, "Yeah, definitely.

"Might be how it's meant to be, and now it's a matter of working hard because I see a lot of potential in this team."

Albon, who wrecked his car during practice at last year’s race at Albert Park and subsequently drove ex-teammate Logan Sargeant's car during qualifying and race day, finished 11th, missing out on points.

"We were fighting for points in previous years but ... this year it feels like we should be able to score points in every race," the England-born Thai commented on Saturday.

"It will be a dogfight between RB [Racing Bulls], Alpine. I think every weekend is going to be split by a tenth [of a second] and that's it. It's motivating for all of us."

With rain forecasted for Sunday, Albon is anticipating challenging conditions, especially for the six racers at Albert Park starting a season for the first time.

"No-one's driven on the inters [intermediate tires] or the wets. Good luck to the rookies," he stated.

"Let's see, anything can happen. I'm hoping for a fairly safe race but there is going to be carnage for sure."

As the Australian Grand Prix promises thrilling action, both Sainz and Albon's performances have set the stage for an exciting season ahead for Williams.