Carlos Sainz has earned high praise from 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who believes the Spanish driver possesses a rare quality that sets him apart on the Formula 1 grid. Villeneuve pointed to Sainz’s consistent ability to elevate every team he joins, a pattern that has defined the 30-year-old’s career since his debut alongside Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso in 2015. The Canadian’s observations come as Sainz continues to prove his worth at Williams following his move from Ferrari, where he was replaced by Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.
A career built on consistent development
Sainz’s Formula 1 journey began at Toro Rosso in 2015, where he spent two and a half seasons before switching to Renault midway through 2017. His progression continued with a 2019 move to McLaren, where he secured podium finishes in Brazil and at Monza in 2020. When Sebastian Vettel departed Ferrari, Sainz seized the opportunity to join the Scuderia, collecting four race victories during his tenure with the Italian outfit.
The announcement that Hamilton would replace him at Ferrari for 2025 marked a difficult moment in Sainz’s career. Yet the Spaniard’s response has been emphatic. His move to Williams, a team that struggled the previous year, raised questions about whether he could maintain competitive form. Those doubts were swiftly answered with third-place finishes in both Azerbaijan and Qatar, outperforming his seven-time World Champion replacement in the podium stakes during the early stages of the season.
The awakening after Ferrari’s decision
Speaking on the High Performance podcast, presenter Jake Humphries suggested that Ferrari’s decision to let Sainz go may have ignited something within the driver. Villeneuve had predicted at the start of 2024 that Sainz would become one of the major surprises of the 2025 season at Williams, a forecast that has proven accurate.
“It must have been difficult to swallow, moving from Ferrari to a team that wasn’t among the front-runners the year before,” Villeneuve acknowledged. “However, given how his season has unfolded, he’ll be pleased with the decision now.”
The former Williams driver emphasised that this pattern of improvement is not new for Sainz. “This is something he’s achieved at every team he’s signed for,” Villeneuve explained. “When Carlos was Max’s teammate at Toro Rosso, he performed admirably. He had nothing to be ashamed of—he simply delivered solid results.”
Technical understanding that transforms machinery
Villeneuve identified a specific quality that distinguishes Sainz from many of his contemporaries on the grid. The Spaniard’s technical comprehension and methodical approach to car development create tangible improvements for his teams. “He’s exceptionally well-developed and intensely focused, more so than most other drivers,” the Canadian observed.
The influence of Sainz’s father, a rally legend still competing successfully in the Dakar Rally, provides context for this competitive mindset. “He has a certain attitude instilled from childhood that has served him beautifully,” Villeneuve noted. “Every team he’s joined, he’s made better. Every single time.”
The impact isn’t merely statistical. Villeneuve pointed to a revealing pattern: Sainz typically generates more positive momentum for himself than for his teammates, and when he departs, teams often experience a decline. Last season illustrated this perfectly, with Sainz struggling initially before making the car faster through development work. His efforts at Williams Racing have followed a similar trajectory, transforming the team’s competitive position more rapidly than many predicted.
The difference that makes a difference
What separates Sainz from the majority of the field, according to Villeneuve, comes down to his working methodology. “He works on the car. He understands what the car is doing and genuinely thinks deeply about it,” the 1997 champion stated. This engineering-focused approach, combined with race craft developed over a decade at the highest level, creates a driver who functions as both competitor and developer.
This dual capability proves particularly valuable during regulation changes or when teams face technical challenges. Sainz’s track record shows consistent improvement curves at McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams—a pattern that suggests his influence extends beyond individual lap times to fundamental car development. His ability to extract performance while simultaneously providing engineers with actionable feedback represents a skill set that teams increasingly value in the modern era.
What this means for Williams and beyond
Sainz’s early success with Williams validates both Villeneuve’s prediction and the team’s decision to secure his signature. The podium finishes in Azerbaijan and Qatar demonstrate that the Grove-based squad has made significant progress, with Sainz’s technical input playing a crucial role in that advancement. As the 2025 season continues, Williams appears positioned to challenge for regular points-scoring positions, a transformation few would have predicted twelve months ago.
For Sainz himself, the Ferrari departure that initially appeared damaging has become an opportunity to showcase his complete skill set. His performance alongside teammate Alex Albon provides a clear benchmark, while his continued points-scoring ability keeps him firmly in consideration for future moves should top teams require a proven race winner with development expertise.
