A challenging start
The last weekend of the world championship in Barcelona turned into a disaster for both representatives of Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The British driver, eager to finish the race that brought him to the top of the drivers’ standings with the most GPs contested with the Grove team on a high note, did not finish due to an unfortunate rear camera problem, while Sainz crossed the finish line in 12th place in his home GP.
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Both drivers appeared very frustrated at the end of the race, even more so after a first part of the season that did not meet the high expectations raised at the end of last season. A disappointment also noticed by a former driver who, precisely with Williams, achieved four pole positions, eight podiums, and, above all, a victory: David Coulthard. For the Scot, now a TV commentator, Sainz’s disappointment is such that the Spaniard is already considering the possibility of leaving the British team for 2027, hoping to return to a top team.
A future away from Williams
Coulthard, who achieved his greatest successes with McLaren, expressed his thoughts in the Up to Speed podcast: “You can clearly see the frustration in both Williams drivers. I think Albon is even a bit more frustrated, since he was just named the driver with the most races contested for Williams. Sainz wants to return to a top team. He is deeply connected to that team. It’s part of his DNA and he has always given his best. So I think his frustration will be greater than Carlos’s, who – let’s be honest – is definitely keeping an eye on his next opportunity, since he moved from Ferrari, where he achieved Grand Prix wins, to Williams, where he settles for scoring points.”
Read more Steiner straight talk on Honda and Aston Martin: “They should be relegated to F2”
However, although there have been no statements from Sainz indicating his clear intention to leave Williams, Coulthard insists on this hypothesis: “He wants to return to a top team, and to achieve this goal it will still take a few years at Williams. So I think we have to acknowledge the progress, but it is still Williams, and just the name alone makes us expect more.”
Read more Steiner straight talk on Honda and Aston Martin: “They should be relegated to F2”
