Sainz concedes he needs to 'pick fights a bit better' after race-ending contact with Tsunoda in Bahrain

Carlos Sainz believes that he needs to ‘pick fights a bit better’ as he continues to adjust to life with new team Williams.

The Spaniard joined the Grove-based squad over the winter after spending four seasons with Ferrari, racing more often than not ahead of the traditional midfield, while he also notched up four Grand Prix victories with the Scuderia.

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However, this year he has dropped into the highly-congested midfield given where Williams are on their journey, though the Spaniard has continued to battle hard against all-comers.

But following contact with Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull in Bahrain, which caused ultimately race-ending damage, Sainz accepted that his new reality may require a similarly different approach

“I’m gutted that we didn’t manage to capitalise on points,” Sainz said ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.

“Looking back at it, maybe with a bit of time, nothing could have been different with what I did with Yuki losing the rear and hitting my car, but just maybe picking my fights a bit better.

“Unfortunately, this year, with Mercedes, Ferrari and maybe the Red Bulls, maybe if I’m ahead of them – last year, I was fighting them hard but maybe this year I need to be a bit more realistic and let them go, especially on a track like Bahrain where overtaking is easy and they’re going to pass you anyway.

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“Other tracks, not so much. Maybe Suzuka and other tracks like Monaco, you definitely fight it out. But at tracks like Bahrain, maybe pick the fights a bit better and commit to make sure you finish in the points.”

Sainz has registered just a single point from the opening four weekends of the 2025 season, compared to the 18 of Williams team mate Alex Albon, with retirements in Australia and Bahrain stunting his form.

Offering a frank assessment of his season to this point, the four-time Grand Prix winner added: “I think there’s going to be a bit of that in general in the first third [of the season]. The first half, you’re going to see from me some weekends clicking with the car, other weekends less, because I’m going through a very big learning process, adapting my driving and my set-ups, my understanding of the car.

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“It’s normal that when you switch teams, it always takes a bit of trial and error, some good weekends and some off weekends. I’m just trying to do as much understanding as possible.

“It’s not easy. You have seen everyone that has changed teams takes time, and we’re on the right path, taking my time a step at a time and having good and bad weekends but heading in the right direction.”

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