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As the 2025 Formula 1 season approaches, Carlos Sainz has made it clear that he doesn’t include Lewis Hamilton among his title contenders for the upcoming year. The Spanish driver, who is set to move to Williams for a long-term project, recently shared his thoughts on the drivers he believes are most likely to challenge for the championship.
Carlos Sainz will drive for Williams
Carlos Sainz, who is transitioning from Ferrari to Williams, will be shifting his focus from podiums to battling for top-10 finishes in the 2025 season. The 30-year-old was asked by SoyMotor, a Spanish motorsport outlet, who he believes will contend for the drivers' title in 2025. When given options such as reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, McLaren’s Lando Norris, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Sainz confidently named these three as his key contenders.
I think it will be between those first three you have said, Sainz responded, adding, If Mercedes make a good car, I would put [George] Russell in too. I think he is at a very good level. Any of those can beat each other this year.
Ferrari’s chances enhanced with Hamilton’s arrival
While Sainz did not include Hamilton in his list of title contenders, he acknowledged the significant impact of the seven-time world champion’s arrival at Ferrari. Speaking at the launch of Williams' 2025 car, Sainz expressed that Ferrari’s prospects of securing their first drivers' title in 18 years have been bolstered by Hamilton’s presence. The last time Ferrari claimed the title was with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, which coincided with Hamilton's rookie year.
Sainz remarked, I’ve never been team-mates with Lewis, so I don’t know what he’s capable of doing, I’ve never seen his data. He went on to clarify, I’ve seen Charles [Leclerc] and I know how good Charles is, but I’ve never been team-mates with Lewis. And the only way you can more or less evaluate a driver is when you’re their team-mate and you see what they’re capable of doing.
Despite not naming Hamilton as a direct contender, Sainz acknowledged the inherent uncertainty in predicting how a driver will perform at a new team.
When I judge by results and his background and what he’s achieved, I can only say there is a very high chance that obviously he is going to be competitive at Ferrari, Sainz said.
However, he noted that much will depend on how well Hamilton adapts to both the car and the team dynamics.
There are so many variables that it is impossible for me to predict, Sainz added. But like everything, it will all depend on how well you can adapt to a car, how well you can adapt to a team and in which moment your team-mate is in.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Sainz also reflected on his time at Ferrari, stating that both he and Leclerc were ready to fight for the World Championship before his departure. He believes that Hamilton’s entry into the team strengthens their championship chances, adding,
With Lewis joining, that chance only got increased.
The 2025 F1 season will officially kick off on March 16 in Australia, with pre-season testing set for February 26-28 in Bahrain. As the grid prepares for the new season, the excitement surrounding Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari continues to build.
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