In the 2025 Formula 1 season, Ferrari’s decision to replace Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton has led to a notable loss in the team‘s consistency benchmark, according to insights from The Race’s F1 analyst Edd Straw. This shift has impacted Ferrari’s ability to maintain steady performance levels, especially when compared to previous seasons with Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has struggled to consistently match Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc’s pace, particularly in qualifying sessions where Leclerc leads the head-to-head 7-3. Hamilton’s challenges in adapting to the SF-25 car have contributed to this inconsistency.
The Impact of Losing Sainz’s Consistency for Ferrari
During his tenure with Ferrari from 2021 to 2024, Carlos Sainz was known for his reliable and steady performances in both qualifying and races. He even outscored Leclerc in the 2021 season, finishing fifth in the championship with 164.5 points compared to Leclerc’s seventh place with 159 points. The competition between the two Ferrari drivers remained closely contested throughout Sainz’s four years at the team.
Reflecting on the changes brought by Hamilton’s arrival, Edd Straw remarked,
“What Ferrari lost with Hamilton, you know, a lot of gains, and Lewis is a great driver, but it lost a benchmark of consistency, that it knew where both Charles and Carlos were, they both kind of gave different depths of information and different types of feedback on a car.”
—Edd Straw, The Race F1 pundit
Carlos Sainz’s Performance at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix with Williams
Despite the challenges he has faced after moving from Ferrari, Carlos Sainz showed resilience in his new role at Williams during the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. After a difficult qualifying session disrupted by an impeding incident that forced him out of Q1, Sainz began the race near the back of the grid.
In a fiercely competitive midfield battle at the Gilles-Villeneuve Racing Circuit, Sainz managed to fight through the pack and secure a tenth-place finish, earning a valuable championship point for Williams in the 70-lap race.
Following the race, Sainz shared his thoughts in an interview:
“If you had told me yesterday after starting 16th that we would get a point, I would be quite proud and happy. But the reality is that I’m not.”
—Carlos Sainz, Williams driver
He added further,
“We have to learn better because it’s a few races in a row now that we cannot race on Sunday and it makes our Sunday a bit tricky.”
—Carlos Sainz, Williams driver
Current Standings and What Lies Ahead in the 2025 Season
After 10 rounds of the 2025 F1 season, Carlos Sainz holds 13th place in the drivers‘ standings with 13 points, trailing his Williams teammate Alex Albon, who is in seventh with 42 points. The Austrian Grand Prix is the next event on the calendar, offering another opportunity for both drivers to improve their positions.
Ferrari’s ongoing adjustment to the new driver lineup and Hamilton’s efforts to find consistent form will remain key factors as the season unfolds, while Sainz’s adaptability at Williams continues to show his determination to stay competitive despite the challenges.