Carlos Sainz has shared his initial impressions after completing his first day of pre-season testing as a Williams driver, with the Spaniard putting in 68 laps and ending Wednesday in fifth place on the timesheets.
After Alex Albon got behind the wheel of the FW47 during the morning, Sainz took over driving duties for the afternoon in a session that was disrupted when a power cut at the Bahrain International Circuit led to the red flags being thrown.
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An additional hour was added to the running time to make up for this and Sainz was pleased to have still been able to complete his run plan, while the 30-year-old also spoke positively about his experiences after his first extended mileage in the car.
“Overall, it was a positive first day for the team, especially given some of the track stoppages we had with the blackout,” Sainz commented at the end of Day 1 in Sakhir.
“We managed to complete the run plan, and we got in a lot of laps, which is always the main target of the first day.
“First impressions are positive, but obviously between now and the next couple of days, we’ll try to improve the balance of the car in both short and long runs.”
Sainz set the fifth fastest time of the day during the Wednesday’s running at the Bahrain International Circuit
On the other side of the garage, Albon amassed a total of 63 laps during the morning’s session and praised the team for already making changes to the car based on what they had learned.
“It was an okay day today,” said Albon. “We still have a few things to work on, but our base car feels pretty sensible.
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“This is what testing’s about, trying to understand the systems and whether there are things we need to address. We’ve made a few changes to the car, which is positive.
“As a team, we’ve had a couple of opportunities to run the car already this year, so that’s a good thing – but as drivers, we always wish we had more time. All in all, though, it was good to get out there!”
Chief Engineer Dave Robson, meanwhile, spoke of the positive impact from the feedback shared by Sainz at the 2024 end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi in terms of how the team used this to address weaknesses on last year’s car.
“It’s always good to finally get a new car to the track and begin to understand how the performance and personality of the car compare to expectations,” Robson commented.
Albon completed 63 laps at the wheel of the FW47 on Wednesday morning
“We have worked hard during the FW47 development period to resolve the weaknesses of last year’s car and to ensure that the FW47 is competitive in a broad range of conditions.
“Carlos’ feedback from driving last year’s car in Abu Dhabi confirmed that we were focused on the right areas, but only today could we begin the process of understanding whether that focus has been rewarded.
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“Conditions were cool and gusty all day and, whilst not necessarily representative of how the weather will be when we return here for the Grand Prix next month, they are quite useful conditions in which to push the car and explore its consistency.
“The car ran reliably all day, allowing both drivers to get some valuable experience in it. Based on their experience today, and using the data we collected from over 700km of smooth running, we will plan the final two days of pre-season testing.
“Carlos will continue in the car tomorrow before Alex takes over for the final day on Friday. There is inevitably a lot of work left to be done in a short space of time; however, we have had a good start and are in a position to push the car harder over the next two days.”
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