Carlos Sainz drops a 4-word verdict on testing Williams car for the first time in Abu Dhabi

Carlos Sainz began working with Williams Racing prior to the 2025 F1 season as he shared a snippet of his first day at work with the Grove-based outfit. In the clip, he could be seen coordinating with his new crew as he prepares for a fresh start this year.

The former Ferrari driver did not take long to get behind the wheel of a Williams car. Right after the season ended with the 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sainz drove the Williams car during the post-season test. He is set to partner with Alex Albon in the 2025 season.

Williams F1 recently shared a clip from his first day at work with the team during the testing session in Abu Dhabi. Sainz reshared it on his Instagram account, writing:

"1st day at work👀"

Carlos Sainz shares his first-time experience behind the wheel of a Williams car (@carlossainz55 on Instagram)

Sainz departed from Ferrari last year after the team signed Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. He had raced with the team since 2021 and remained consistently competitive throughout his time. He was associated with multiple teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes before the deal with Williams Racing was signed.

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Red Bull team boss on if he regrets not signing Carlos Sainz for 2025

As mentioned, the Spaniard was linked with Red Bull, however, this speculation was soon over after the team extended Sergio Perez's contract for two years. But as the latter's performance dropped below competitive levels of the team's rivals, the team ultimately canceled his contract going into 2025.

Given Carlos Sainz's skills, he could have been a strong pick for Red Bull and there was a general speculation if team principal Christian Horner regretted not signing the 30-year-old to drive alongside Max Verstappen. This was exactly what Sky F1 asked Horner, as he said:

"I think Carlos is a great driver and we’ve seen that obviously this year. Sometimes you’ve got to look at all the various criteria and dynamics, and at the point that we extended Checo’s contract, you have to remember he was second in the world championship and finishing on podiums in the first four out of five races."

After terminating Perez's contract, Red Bull Racing signed Liam Lawson to drive for the team in 2025. He replaced Daniel Ricciardo mid-season at VCARB last season and remained consistent in the few races he took part in.