Carlos Sainz has "no regrets" over McLaren exit as he commits to Williams rebuild

Carlos Sainz insists he has no regrets about leaving McLaren for Ferrari at the end of 2020, even if that decision ultimately cost him a potential shot at a World Championship with his former team.

Why Ferrari was the right move

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Sainz was asked whether he believed he could have secured last year’s Drivers’ Championship instead of Lando Norris had he remained at McLaren.

His trajectory at Ferrari, in his view, justifies the decision.

"In 2022, I won my first races and in 2023, while I was still winning races in Ferrari, McLaren were still almost dead last in the Qualifying of Bahrain. I would have thought back then, ‘I would be winning races with Ferrari’."

For Sainz, the timing was decisive.

"I think it was the right thing to do at the right time. And the only thing I feel is happiness for the team. I feel honestly happy for them. I don't feel any regrets."

His comments reflect not only satisfaction with his own career progression, but also genuine appreciation for McLaren’s resurgence.

Norris’ rise and McLaren’s transformation

Sainz was quick to credit Lando Norris, who went on to secure the Drivers’ title after a strong second half of the 2025 season.

"Lando has been always quick since the day he became an F1 driver. I think he's just become a bit more of an all rounder through the last six years, and he's become more championship material. And then he confirmed it in 2025 with a very strong second part of the season."

McLaren’s transformation from a struggling outfit in 2020 to double Teams’ Champions and Drivers’ title winners serves as a benchmark in Sainz’s mind — and as inspiration for his current challenge.

A long-term vision with Williams

Sainz joined Williams in 2025, stepping into what he openly describes as a midfield project. Despite a difficult start to last season, he secured two podium finishes before the year’s end.

The beginning of the 2026 campaign has proved more challenging, with a best result so far of P9 in China. Yet Sainz sees parallels between Williams’ current position and the McLaren squad he joined back in 2019.

"I think every team on every journey is completely different, but the stage that I think I found Williams in 2025, I think I would say it's a very similar journey to where I found McLaren in 2019, 2020," he said.

He remains realistic about the scale of the task ahead.

"I don't know how long it will take Williams compared to McLaren and still, what McLaren has done of becoming World Champions eventually is an extremely difficult task. Because even if Williams can become more competitive through the next few years, then to win is another step that is even more difficult. So congratulations to McLaren for that. But yeah, I would say Williams is in a similar point, from where McLaren were in 2019."

For Sainz, the Williams move is more than a contract — it is a commitment.

"[Williams is] a life project, because I'm 31-years-old now and I feel I can enter the next few years of my career with a very clear target in mind, which is try and help this team and go back to the front of the field."

At this stage of his career, Sainz is not looking backward. His Ferrari chapter delivered milestones, his McLaren years laid foundations, and now, with Williams, he has chosen to invest in the long road back to the front — without a hint of regret.