Given that the Spaniard mentioned how well things were going during the 2024 post-season Abu Dhabi test and then the Bahrain pre-season, a return to a track where Sainz is familiar in a Williams could spark the breakthrough and confidence boost he so desperately requires.
As for where he will end in the top ten, it will be difficult with Racing Bulls looking so good early on, but I believe Sainz will slip in at P10.
Carlos Sainz has had a rough start to F1 2025 and his Williams career, but I'll back him to improve with a top ten result in Bahrain, where he posted the quickest time in pre-season testing only a month and a half ago.
Sure, Sainz has already collected his first Williams point, but only after Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly were all disqualified in China, leaving Sainz to navigate an unusually difficult transition to Williams after signing from Ferrari.
However, given that the Spaniard mentioned how well things were going during the 2024 post-season Abu Dhabi test and then the Bahrain pre-season, a return to a track where Sainz is familiar in a Williams could spark the breakthrough and confidence boost he so desperately requires.
As for where he will end in the top ten, it will be difficult with Racing Bulls looking so good early on, but I believe Sainz will slip in at P10.
Sticking with the Carlos Sainz theme, he has spoken positively about the adjustments he has attempted to adopt in his short time with Williams, altering his driving style slightly at Suzuka in the hopes of achieving the best results.
He has been outqualified by Alex Albon at every opportunity in 2025, and has finished behind him every time, but I believe this will be the first time we see the true Carlos Sainz in Bahrain.
Liam Lawson’s got the talent to turn heads in Bahrain, no question. His past results there—a sprint win, a sprint podium, and a feature podium—show he’s got a knack for the Sakhir circuit. That pre-season test in the RB21, even if it’s not the exact car he’s racing now, would’ve given him valuable track time to dial in his approach. After the rough start with Red Bull Racing and that botched pit strategy in Japan, he’s got a chip on his shoulder, and Bahrain’s a perfect place to channel that hunger.
The track suits his aggressive style—long straights, heavy braking zones, and opportunities to overtake. If Racing Bulls gives him a clean strategy and the car’s pace is decent, a points finish is well within reach. Beating Hadjar? Likely. Isack’s still finding his feet, and Lawson’s got the experience edge. A podium might be a stretch unless chaos unfolds, but a strong top-10—say, P6 to P8—feels realistic if he nails the start and avoids trouble. Keep an eye on his first lap; he’s got a habit of making bold moves early.
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