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Carlos Sainz once again demonstrated his strategic prowess in Formula 1, but this time, he did it not for a win—but for the benefit of Williams and Alex Albon.
Fresh off his intelligent race management at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, where he handed DRS to Lando Norris to defend from Mercedes' George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Sainz was asked to repeat a similar move at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Only this time, it wasn’t his idea—and it made him a little uneasy.
A Tactical Masterstroke at Marina Bay
Sainz's crafty use of the DRS zone in Singapore earned him a rare non-Red Bull win last season and widespread praise for his race IQ. By letting Norris stay within one second of him, the McLaren driver had DRS advantage to hold off the chasing Mercedes duo—helping Sainz secure the victory.
He later reflected: “It’s a lot more difficult to execute because it does put you under some extra pressure and it comes with its risks.”
A Request From Williams: Help Albon Hold Off Hadjar
Fast forward to this season’s Saudi Arabian GP, Sainz found himself in a similar position—only this time, he wasn’t going for glory. Instead, Williams asked him to assist Albon, who was battling to maintain his position ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar.
With Sainz in eighth and Albon just behind him in ninth, the team instructed Sainz to keep Albon within DRS range to help fend off Hadjar. Without the boost from DRS, Albon would have been vulnerable, which could have triggered a chain reaction affecting Sainz’s own position.
Sainz Felt Vulnerable — But It Paid Off
Speaking after the race, Sainz admitted he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the request at first.
“I think it was 12, 13 laps to go,” he said. “The team asked me to give the DRS to Alex to make sure Hajar didn’t have a chance at passing us.
“Bit of a tricky one, because you always feel like it exposes you also, especially in a high-speed track where the DRS has a very big effect around here.
“You always get a bit nervous about it, because from there on, you cannot put a foot wrong—if you do a mistake or hit a wall or whatever. But in the end, it worked.”
He continued, “And yeah, I could show my best pace in the last lap, I pushed and I had a lot of pace, which is a really good sign. So, yeah, very, very happy, honestly, very solid weekend.”
The Mastermind Behind the Strategy—But With a Twist
When reminded that he was the architect of this DRS tactic, Sainz laughed: “I know!
“This is not the same when it comes from your idea, because you’re 100 per cent sure, compared to when it comes from the team, which is… you always struggle a bit more to commit to it, because it doesn’t come natural for you.
“But, yeah, I think we did the right call in the end. It ensured the eighth and ninth position for the team, and we could bring home this incredible result for the team.”
Big Result for Williams in the Constructors’ Race
Thanks to the six-point haul, Williams leapfrogged Haas in the Constructors’ Championship standings, moving up to fifth with 25 points—five more than the American outfit.
“Honestly, solid race,” Sainz summarized. “Good tyre management on the medium, managing to dominate the first part of the race. Then we had to go through a lot—well, we had a bit of a slow pit stop that cost me three or four seconds, but we managed to keep it cool, to keep it under control. And yeah, from there on, just managing the hard tyre to the end, going through some slower cars.”
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