Carlos Sainz shares glowing praise for 2x F1 podium finisher for his surprising quality

Carlos Sainz has heaped praise on his new teammate Alex Albon for keeping an open mind ahead of his arrival at Williams. He appreciated the fact that Albon is open to the new dynamic and is sharing key team secrets with the Spanish.

Sainz, a proven race winner, joined Williams Racing for the 2025 season after Ferrari replaced him with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, the Grove-based squad already had a strong driver in Alex Albon.

Many feared that Sainz's entry could Albon's insecurity. However, the Spanish driver dismissed these speculations in his first media interview. Albon and Sainz unveiled the 2025 season challenger in Silverstone on February 14, in the presence of team principal James Vowles, fans, and media.

Speaking to the reporters, after the launch, Sainz had nothing but good words to say for his new teammate.

“I've never seen a guy that is so genuine and so open and so willing to make progress with the team and listen to me, tell me about what he knows already about the team, about the car," Sainz said, via The Race.

He [Albon] is sharing with me, 'What do you think about this? What do you think about that?' I ask him; I bounce back and ask him so many other questions... and so far, honestly, we're having an incredible relationship, super open."

Previously, Volwes also echoed a similar sentiment when he claimed that Alex Albon was the one who pushed him to pursue Carlos Sainz from Ferrari in the first place.

It's safe to say Williams won't face tensions while settling driver dynamics in the upcoming season, as Albon and Sainz have made peace with their situations. After testing the FW47 in Silverstone, the two drivers will feature in pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 26-28.

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Alex Albon reveals approach as Carlos Sainz's new teammate

Alex Albon [L] with Carlos Sainz [R] (Image Source: Getty)

During the event at Silverstone held last week, Alex Albon also disclosed his mindset behind welcoming Carlos Sainz as his new teammate. He asserted that the feeling of insecurity hasn't been a cause of worry for him, as he sees the new dynamics as an opportunity to grow.

“I see it more as an opportunity that Carlos is a very proven driver. He’s just come off one of his best years in F1, so I’m confident in myself, and I’m excited to have a great teammate who I can learn from. I hope I can bring something to him as well. In the end, the direction of the team [must be] to go forwards in the future, Albon said, via The Race.

With the team dynamics sorted, Williams can focus on maximizing Carlos Sainz's potential while ensuring Alex Albon is also on the same page as they kickstart the ambitious plan to rebuild Williams into a competitive team.