P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Carlos Sainz has tempered expectations surrounding Williams’ prospects in the 2025 F1 campaign amid McLaren’s claim that it could get amongst the leading group.
Williams’ pre-season preparations have been notably smoother than the challenges they faced during the 2024 season, positioning them well for the upcoming races. The team successfully conducted a shakedown with the new FW47 at Silverstone and performed impressively in the only pre-season test leading up to the season. With Carlos Sainz setting a benchmark lap time ahead of Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s Andrea Stella has pointed out Williams as a potential front-runner. Sainz, although acknowledging the team’s progress, has doubts about their ability to compete with the top teams this year. He emphasized the difficulty in accurately assessing performance during testing due to various factors like engine modes and fuel loads. Despite Williams’ improvement, Sainz remains cautious about predicting their performance compared to the competition in the upcoming season.
