Carlos Sainz makes his feelings known about teaming up with Alex Albon at Williams

Carlos Sainz has praised Alex Albon as one of the drivers who not everyone knows how quick he is and for being an amicable personality on and off the grid. The Spaniard was a Ferrari driver until the end of the 2024 F1 season and will be moving to Williams in 2025, where he will be teamed up with the Thai driver.

Signing Sainz is being seen as a statement of intent from James Vowles, who is trying to build the team and get it back to its glory days. As part of the process, Carlos Sainz would be a part of the team and bring with him the learning and expertise of being at a top team like Ferrari and how it operates.

In a recent interview on Beyond the Grid, the Spaniard was questioned about what he expects from his future teammate at Williams, to which he said that he rates Albon very highly, and after talking to drivers like George Russell, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc (who have teamed up with him in the junior categories), he's got the feedback that many on the grid aren't aware of the 28-year-old's race pace.

Appreciating that the Thai driver is not only brilliant on the track but off it as well, Sainz said (as quoted by PlanetF1),

“I don’t only rate him as a really good racing driver, but also as a great human. I think if you ask the other 19 drivers in the grid, ‘who do you think is one of the genuine good guys in the grid?’ I think they would all say Alex."

He added,

“I’ve never been team-mates with Alex, I’ve never seen his data, but I’ve obviously asked Lando, Charles and George that have raced with Alex, and they all say people don’t know how fast Alex is. Everyone is telling me he’s genuinely a really, really good driver, super talented and super fast. They’ve all raced against him."

Before moving to Williams, Carlos Sainz was part of Ferrari for the last four seasons, while at the same time, Alex Albon was part of the Grove-based squad for the last three years.

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Carlos Sainz gives his take on what Williams needs right now

Talking about what Williams needs at this stage, the Spaniard said that what stands out for the team right now is having two strong drivers who can help the squad improve and get better. He said,

“I think what Williams needs right now is two guys like Alex and me pushing flat out to make that process and make that journey as short as possible, to bring Williams back to where they deserve to be.”

The 2025 F1 season is crucial for both Carlos Sainz and Williams, because after years of promise of growth and improvement, if the current season doesn't translate into better results, then it's going to be a concern for what's in store for 2026 and the immediate future.