MIAMI, Fla. — During his first and only practice session at the Miami Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. began to glimpse the potential of Williams’ car.
Come Saturday’s qualifying session, he felt ready to “unleash” that potential.
Sainz made it to the top ten and secured a position in the third row of the grid. Speaking to the media after qualifying, he expressed his satisfaction with both his performance and the overall capabilities of the Williams team.
“Yeah, I’m really happy, especially after a tough weekend. There have been a lot of mistakes from my side on both driving and operational fronts,” he shared.
“We managed to hit the reset button and show what we’d hinted at in the last couple of sessions.”
“That’s really encouraging for me. I finally unlocked the potential I felt in yesterday’s practice and qualifying. Landing in P6, right near the front, it starts to get serious,” he added.
When asked if this outcome motivated him, Sainz remarked that while the track might favor the FW47, being close to pole position fuels his desire to improve for the season ahead.
“It might be a bit of a one-off since this track seems to suit us well,” he continued. “Still, when I see those three-tenths of a second at the top, it makes me eager to target specific areas for development. If the team can provide the resources, I’m ready to aim for significant improvements.”
“But then again, a plan is just a plan.”
“We’re not rushing anything,” he emphasized. “We’re focusing on next year and putting our efforts there, but it is encouraging to be so close to pole position, especially so early in the season.”
Sainz sees promise in this year’s car, expressing confidence in the strategy and vision laid out by team principal James Vowles, even if he’s eager for more advancement with the current machine.
“I appreciate James Vowles because he’s straightforward with his vision,” he noted.
“He has a plan and is all in on it. He trusts his instincts and projects.”
“I’m on board with him.”
“That’s why I committed to him as well as to the Williams team. I see the clear ambitions and targets, and we really need to stick to them.”
“He also assured us that this year’s car would be better than last year’s. He’s been true to his word so far, and I’m glad to see us moving in the right direction.”
For now, Sainz seems to appreciate the vision, as he noted multiple times during his sixth race in the FW47, coming in just shy of pole position.
Drivers might indeed be wise to trust their plans.
