Carlos Sainz is convinced that this weekend will be favorable for his interests. The Williams driver is not having the luck he expected. Despite adapting very well to his new car, the results are not materializing on Sundays, which is when it counts. He also referred to his father’s resignation as FIA president.
Carlos Sainz and Williams’ margin
Williams has been one of the big surprises of the season, going from being the second-to-last team last season to leading the midfield and even beating Ferrari and Mercedes in some races. However, the team is pushing to the limit, which is the only way to stay at the top, and he hopes they will continue to do so this weekend. “We have to make sure we get every detail right, because if we don’t, it will cost us the whole weekend, like it did in Canada.”
Carlos Sainz compares his situation with that of his last teams in F1, McLaren and Ferrari, now two of the best teams on the grid. “In this team, every thousandth counts much more than it did at Ferrari or McLaren.”
Optimism for Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz feels fast at Williams, as he has shown in qualifying and races. However, for one reason or another, the results are not what was expected. In Canada, for example, he was knocked out in Q1 because of Hadjar. Even so, he made the best comeback of the weekend, finishing tenth, and afterwards admitted that he felt frustrated because he couldn’t get the most out of the FW47 due to reliability issues; the result could have been much better.
But now it’s time to think about Austria, and he believes he has a chance to fight higher up and return to at least the middle of the pack. “The distances are super important. I think in the last two circuits I’ve been knocked out in Q1 by thousandths. That shows you that in this sport and in the situation we’re in right now in this team, every thousandth counts a lot.”
Carlos Sainz Sr. bids farewell to the FIA
Carlos Sainz Sr. will not be running for the presidency of the FIA after all. The news is bittersweet for the Williams driver.
“As his son, I’m not disappointed, but as a motorsport fan, I am. Many would have liked to see my father give it a try and see what he could have done for the sport.”
“As his son, and after discussing with him all the aspects he would have had to get involved in and manage in order to confirm his candidacy for the presidency, I think I understand why he’s not doing it and why he’s letting it go to focus on his own affairs.”
He believes there could be a second chance, but feels that now was the right time. “Never say never. I think now was the ideal time, given the current situation, for him to come in and try to make a positive impact. I don’t know if it would be ideal in four or eight years, but right now I’m sure he’s no longer interested.”
On the other hand, he explained the unease many drivers feel with the current management.
“In recent years, we drivers have felt a certain lack of transparency and understanding with the main people in charge of the FIA. And although sometimes the intentions were good and the way the FIA tried to do things was always in the best spirit, I feel that, as drivers, we have always been a bit excluded and, at times, our opinions have not been heard enough.”
“Sometimes there have been corrections and we feel that there has been a good reaction. But clearly, on other occasions, we have not felt the same and we have made that very clear in our statements. I only see one way forward and to improve, because this year has undoubtedly been frustrating overall. So we’ll see if it gets better and maybe today’s press release from the FIA is already a sign of their intentions to make everything a little clearer.”