Carlos Sainz confessed he doesn't regret leaving McLaren at the end of 2020 to join Ferrari. According to the Spaniard, it was a choice that took him away from the chance to fight for a world championship with the woking based team.
The 31 year old from Madrid recalled that when he made the decision to switch teams, the English outfit was far from what it is today. He said that in 2023, when he was still racing for Ferrari, the orange team was almost last on the grid in Bahrain, so at that moment no one could have imagined what would come later.
Sainz said that during his time at the Scuderia he got his first podiums, his first wins, and for him that was a necessary part of growing as a driver.
Norris became champion last year after a dominant second half of the season, and Sainz admitted the Briton was always fast from the moment he arrived in F1, but over the years he turned into a more complete driver with a champion's mindset.
The Spaniard was also clear that he feels neither envy nor regret, quite the opposite, actually. The friendship and respect are still there.
The current Williams driver compared what his new team is going through to what he experienced at McLaren in 2019, when the project that would eventually lead them to success was just starting to take shape. Sainz said Williams is in a similar spot, though he knows making the jump to winning championships is a much harder step.
Being competitive isn't enough; you have to build a winning structure, and that takes time.
The Spaniard said he found a life project at Williams. At 31, he feels he can take on the next few years with the goal of helping the team get back to fighting at the front. Even though the start of 2026 hasn't gone as planned — a ninth place in China is their best result so far, Sainz believes they're on the right track. He pointed to McLaren as proof that when you do things right, the results eventually come.
Sainz also talked about his time at Ferrari, where he picked up four wins and left a real mark before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton. The Spaniard said those years helped him grow as a driver and that he wouldn't change a thing.
His move to Williams in 2025 was a change he wanted; he needed a new challenge, and the idea of building something from the ground up appealed to him.
The Spanish driver isn't hiding that things are tough right now. The car isn't responding the way they expected, but he trusts the team has the resources and the will to make the leap. Sainz knows he's got enough experience to lead this project, and he's not worried about how long it takes. What matters is getting there.
Williams is still a long way from fighting the big teams. In the upcoming races, they'll be looking to climb up the order, straighten things out, and close the gap to the cars ahead. Sainz made it clear he wants to do the same thing he did at McLaren. He likes the challenge he's got at Williams and made it clear he doesn't regret the choices he's made in his career. Right now, he wants to leave his mark on this team.