Carlos Sainz had a difficult start to his Williams career at the Australian Grand Prix, spinning off at the final corner after the safety car was deployed for Jack Doohan’s crash on the opening lap.

Having started from tenth on the grid, Sainz lost control of his car and reported a “massive torque surge” over the team radio. However, rather than heading straight to the airport following his early retirement, he stayed with the team, playing a key role in their race strategy.

His input proved crucial for teammate Alex Albon, who started sixth but lost a place at the start to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Albon settled into seventh, running behind Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls but ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.

On lap 33, he pitted for slick tyres at the same time as Tsunoda and Hamilton, rejoining in the same order. However, when rain returned on lap 44, teams faced a difficult decision of whether to stay out or switch back to intermediates, knowing the downpour was expected to be brief.

Watching from the garage, Sainz was certain that switching to intermediates was the right call. Williams took his advice, bringing Albon in just after race leader Lando Norris and Mercedes’ George Russell. The decision was spot on—Albon held off Hamilton for much of the race and secured an excellent fifth-place finish, marking Williams’ best result in a full Grand Prix since Lance Stroll’s podium in Azerbaijan in 2017.

Team principal James Vowles praised Sainz’s influence, saying to Sky Sports F1: “There was an additional strategist today, and that was Carlos. His insight was incredibly useful on that transition to the inter. You saw a number of teams not sure, Carlos was adamant, ‘you’re gonna want to swap on that’ – and he was spot on!”

Looking ahead to the next race in Shanghai, Vowles expressed his confidence in the team’s progress. “I’m unbelievably proud of this team and I can’t wait to get to Shanghai in just a few days. I’m looking forward to what we can do across the remainder of the season.”