Ferrari’s Slump Tied to Sainz’s Exit, Claims Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t mince words about Carlos Sainz‘s impact on Formula 1 teams.
“Every time he left a team, that team went downhill. Every time. And it’s the same with Ferrari now.”
The 1997 world champion believes Ferrari’s recent struggles are directly linked to losing the Spanish driver to Williams.
Sainz has already made his mark at Williams this season, delivering the team’s first proper race podium since 2017 with his P3 finish in Azerbaijan. Unlike George Russell‘s 2021 Spa “podium” that came after just three safety car laps in terrible weather, Sainz earned his the hard way.
It wasn’t an overnight success story, though.
“If you look at his career, when he’s joined a new team, it has taken him a while, half a season maybe, to get up to speed,” Villeneuve explained. “He works at it.”
This work ethic is what makes Sainz special, according to the Canadian.
“In that period, he makes the whole team go better. That’s what happened in every team he’s joined.”
What’s even more impressive is how Sainz performs against top-tier teammates. Despite racing alongside talents like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, he’s consistently held his own.
“At some point, he’s often had a teammate that maybe was just a few hundredths quicker. But that teammate was quicker also thanks to the work that Sainz was doing,” Villeneuve added.
He doesn’t buy into the narrative that Leclerc dominated Sainz at Ferrari either.
“Leclerc wasn’t ahead of Sainz at Ferrari like a lot of people want to think.”
The Williams podium in Baku wasn’t just luck, according to Villeneuve. Sainz had been performing well all season, but various issues kept derailing his results. Finally, everything came together in Azerbaijan.
“But if you don’t throw the toys out of the pram, then you’ll be fine. Right now, all this hard work is starting to pay off. It’s also a track that suited Williams.”
Sainz qualified an impressive P2 for the race, showing the potential that’s been building all season.
Villeneuve believes the Spanish driver has found a good home at Williams, where his contributions are valued.
“Sainz has to be quite happy with what’s going on at Williams,” he said. “Because now he’s perceived as the team builder, as a great addition and he’s loved there. So if you’re going to jump ship you have to think twice.”
Williams dominating the midfield battle
Williams has pulled ahead in the fight for “best of the rest” with 101 points. They’ve opened up a comfortable 29-point gap to Racing Bulls, with Aston Martin sitting 39 points behind.
After his podium in Azerbaijan, Sainz himself noted that Williams is on the rise, saying this P3 felt even better than his first-ever F1 podium. Team boss James Vowles praised his driver and warned competitors that Sainz has much more to give.
Could Williams continue their upward trajectory? With Sainz’s team-building skills and their current momentum, they might just surprise a few more people before the season ends.
