In the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday, Carlos Sainz Jr. demonstrated his confidence in Williams’ vision and process by delivering an impressive sixth-place finish, just 0.3 seconds shy of pole position. After a challenging start to the weekend, Sainz managed to harness the potential of the Williams FW47, showcasing a significant step forward for the team. His performance not only highlighted his driving skills but also underlined his faith in the long-term strategy laid out by Team Principal James Vowles.
Earlier in the weekend, Sainz had already seen glimpses of the car’s capabilities during the first and only practice session in Miami. However, it was during qualifying that he was finally able to “unleash” the true potential of the FW47, securing a spot in the third row. Speaking to SB Nation and other media after qualifying, Sainz expressed satisfaction not only with his lap but with the progress the team had made.
Yeah, yeah, very happy after a very scrappy weekend, both on the operational side and the driving side where there’s a lot of mistakes happening from both the team and my side, where we were scratching our heads like, ‘how can we be so fast, but at the same time make so many mistakes in two or three sessions?’
he said.
We managed to press the reset button and managed to show the potential that we’ve had the previous two to three sessions. So very happy with that, very happy with the capacity to press the reset and go again, and happy to finally unleash the potential that I saw in FP1 and quali yesterday to put the car in P6 only three-tenths away from pole, starts to be something serious. And yeah, very happy with that.
The driver acknowledged that the Miami track might naturally suit the FW47’s characteristics, but being so close to the top spot on the grid gave him extra motivation to push for improvements as the season progresses. Even though Williams’ official plan focuses on next year’s car, Sainz expressed a clear desire to explore ways to develop the current package.
I think to be three-tenths off pole, we must be doing things well this weekend,
Sainz explained.
I think it might be a bit of an outlier where this track seems to suit our car quite nicely because since FP1 the balance and everything just fell in the window and in the sweet spot. But at the same when I see those three-tenths to the top, my will to develop this car is there because I perfectly know where this car, the moment you put it in the wind tunnel and try and target the two or three areas that I’ve been telling the team where there’s clearly a lot more potential, and if the team manages to give me that, I think we could do a very big step quality wise.
Despite his enthusiasm for further progress with this year’s contender, Sainz remained respectful of the team’s broader focus.
But the plan is the plan. We’re not going to do that. We’re gonna focus on next year and put all the eggs in that basket,
he stated.
But yeah, obviously that potential that I see especially only in my sixth race to be three-tenths off pole is encouraging.
Crucially, Carlos Sainz Jr. openly showed his trust in Williams’ leadership and future ambitions, placing confidence in James Vowles’ careful and patient approach. He highlighted Vowles’ clear vision and willingness to commit fully to the team’s project as one of the key reasons behind his decision to join and stay with Williams.
I like [James Vowles] because he’s a man of a very clear [vision]. He has a plan and he will commit 100% to it. He trusts his feelings, his plan, his project. And I back him,
Sainz said.
That’s why I committed to James as an individual but also as a team to Williams because I see a project and a very clear ambition, very clear targets, and we need to commit to them and stick to them. He also promised me this year’s car would be an improvement to last year and so far he’s been a man of his word and I’m glad that that’s going in the right direction.
Sainz’s steady climb in performance, marked by his P6 qualifying in Miami, is remarkable especially considering it is only his sixth race with the FW47. His measured optimism reflects not only his personal dedication but also a growing confidence in Williams’ structured plan towards sustainable success.
This progress highlights the potential for future breakthroughs and underlines the importance of patience and faith in long-term strategies within Formula 1. For Carlos Sainz Jr. and Williams, this blend of trust and performance could shape a promising chapter ahead, where development, consistency, and teamwork will be vital in transforming potential into tangible results on the track.
