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David Croft highlights Carlos Sainz’s ‘big problem’ at Williams since Ferrari departure

Originally posted on HITC | By Ben Evans | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 10:50 AM ET

The summer break could not have come at a better time for Carlos Sainz, who is looking to get back on track after a challenging start with Williams.

Few drivers in Formula 1 have experienced as many team changes as Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard made the switch from Ferrari to Williams at the beginning of the 2025 season, although it was not exactly by choice.

Sainz found himself pushed out of Ferrari when seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was brought in during contract talks for a new deal.

It has not been an ideal start for either driver, who both sit outside the top ten in this year’s championship standings, but there are still over half the races remaining and plenty can change between now and November.

Carlos Sainz’s qualifying performances are creating a ‘big problem’ for Williams, suggest Karun Chandhok and David Croft

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

On Friday, analyst Karun Chandhok was speaking on Sky Sports F1 during the second free practice session at Zandvoort, and he touched on Sainz’s struggles so far this season.

“Carlos, he needs a bit of a bump, doesn’t he, in terms of this season? If you look at where he is compared to Albon, he’s a long way behind in terms of the points standings.

“For Carlos, it hasn’t quite happened for him, has it? Early on, there were some decent results. But if you look at it, he’s now only got 16 points on the board compared to 54 for Albon.”

Commentator David Croft responded: “And that’s his big problem at the moment.”

The former F1 driver added: “And if you consider the early part [of the season], he was in Q3 for five out of seven [races].

“Now, some of that is that the opposition have gotten stronger. At the start of the year, Williams really looked strong, and people now like Aston [Martin] have picked up the pace.

“But, still, it does look like Carlos needs to find some qualifying form.”

How Carlos Sainz’s qualifying record stacks up against Alex Albon and other rivals

Sainz surprised fans with his qualifying performance in Miami, securing a third-row start for Williams, just ahead of Albon. He achieved three consecutive sixth-place starts, including the Miami race, but his form has since declined.

Since his last appearance in Q3, only Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto have failed to make it into the top 10 on more occasions this season.

DRIVER	TEAM	AV. QUAL. POS.
Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	9.93
Alex Albon	Williams	10.50
Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	10.93
Carlos Sainz	Williams	11.93
Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull (Racing Bulls)	12.36
Pierre Gasly	Alpine	12.43
Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls (Red Bull)	13.79
Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	14.43
Esteban Ocon	Haas	14.93
Oliver Bearman	Haas	15.21
Jack Doohan*	Alpine	15.50
Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	15.71
Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	16.14
Franco Colapinto**	Alpine	16.38