Carlos Sainz “not surprised” to see Lewis Hamilton struggle at Ferrari

Williams driver Carlos Sainz has revealed he is “not surprised” that his Ferrari replacement Lewis Hamilton has struggled to adapt to his new Formula 1 squad.

The seven-time world champion replaced Sainz as Charles Leclerc’s team-mate for 2025, but the Shanghai sprint is the only time Hamilton has beaten the Monegasque in the five race weekends thus far. 

Sainz similarly struggled against his new team-mate Alex Albon to begin with, as Saudi Arabia last time out was the first grand prix he beat his Williams counterpart in. 

So, it does not shock the four-time race winner that he and Hamilton have initially struggled against their team-mates believing it will take time to catch up. 

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Sainz ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. “I expected it for myself and I expected it with him.

“Because when you are up against two team-mates like we are, Alex and Charles, they know the team inside out, and they are already performing at the maximum that that car can perform.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, Williams

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“So, you can only do just a little bit better or the same as them. You cannot suddenly arrive and be two, three tenths quicker, because it’s not possible. They are already at the limit of the car.  

“When you jump to a new team and you’re expected by yourself and by everyone around you to be at that level, you know it’s going to take time. They know a lot more than you. It’s going to take a bit of time, and the sooner you make that process and the sooner you are at that level, the better.”  

There are many reasons why Sainz believes patience is needed to become as quick as their new team-mates, as the Spaniard claimed there are “15 things that you have to relearn”. 

“You cannot imagine the amount of variation, variability just to make the car get to a similar lap time in just completely different ways,” Sainz added.

“I’m trying high engine braking in Williams to see if it works, I’m trying low, I’m trying differential maps, but I’m trying everything every weekend just to see what the car likes and what it doesn’t.  

“There’s things that suit your style, others that don’t, and I think it’s that fight and that process that I enjoy and that you’re going to get wrong many times.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“But as long as you enjoy it and you just embrace it, you know you’re gonna get it wrong a few times but you’re also gonna, when you click and you get the thought, ‘this works,’ it’s actually a eureka moment that feels good.”  

Sainz hasn’t yet had his “eureka moment” yet, and warned that it may not come for him or Hamilton anytime soon.

In fact, the Williams racer said that learning a new team, new car and all-new processes could take more than six months.  

“I’ve always said that to know a car well, you need at least half a year to a year to experience everything with that car,” he added. 

“That doesn’t mean that you cannot perform during that year. You can perform at 100% or 99%, and your 99% might still be pretty good.

“But the 100% for sure, there are things that you need half a year, I would say, to experience.”