Sainz Comments on Hamilton’s Struggles at Ferrari
Miami Grand Prix Preview – Carlos Sainz, the Williams driver, expressed understanding regarding Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties adapting to Ferrari following his switch from Mercedes. In the 2025 season thus far, Hamilton has only outperformed his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, once—during the Shanghai sprint—a situation reminiscent of Sainz’s own challenges early in his tenure at Williams.
Sainz opined, “I’m not surprised at all. I expected it for myself and I expected it for him,” highlighting the inherent challenges of transitioning to a new team. He noted that both Hamilton and himself were up against teammates who deeply understand their respective cars. “They know the team inside out, and they are already performing at the maximum.”
Sainz acknowledged the steep learning curve, stating that mastering a new car can take six months to a year, a sentiment echoed in his own experience where he struggled to gain an edge over Alex Albon until recently. He emphasized the difficulty in immediately matching established performance levels, pointing out, "You cannot suddenly arrive and be two, three tenths quicker… they are already at the limit of the car."
Sainz is currently experimenting with various settings at Williams to find optimal configurations that fit his driving style. He remarked, “I’m trying high engine braking… I’m trying everything every weekend just to see what the car likes and what it doesn’t.” This process can lead to trial and error, with Sainz admitting, “You’re going to get it wrong many times.”
Looking ahead to the Miami Grand Prix, Sainz remains optimistic but realistic about the timeline for improvement. He noted, “You can perform at 100% or 99%, but the 100%—there are things that you need half a year to experience.”
As both Sainz and Hamilton navigate their new environments, the expectation is clear: patience will be essential for achieving peak performance in the highly competitive arena of Formula 1.
