P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Carlos Sainz has admitted Williams being in podium contention in F1 in 2025 would be a “surprise”, despite McLaren’s vow that a midfield team can win a race this season.
The upcoming 2025 Formula 1 season is anticipated to be fiercely competitive with the top four teams demonstrating exceptional performance in the last five races of 2024. The development race has widened the gap between the leading quartet and the rest of the field significantly, with Mercedes currently holding a substantial 374-point lead over Aston Martin in fourth place. McLaren remains optimistic that the ongoing convergence in performance across teams could lead to surprises, possibly even an unexpected race winner emerging this season. Carlos Sainz, now with Williams, acknowledges the team is still behind the top three teams by at least three-tenths of a second in pace. Despite this, Sainz remains ready to seize any opportunities that may arise during the season and aims to contribute to Williams’ rebuilding process, expressing that achieving a podium with the team would be the proudest moment of his Formula 1 career.
