F1 star forced to apologise to fan at Las Vegas GP

Williams F1 star Carlos Sainz has apologised to fans at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, in a funny interaction with a member of the crowd who was overjoyed with Sainz's recent podium finish.

The fan playfully accused Sainz of 'lying' because he had originally said when he joined Williams that he would not be challenging for podiums or top-five finishes.

Sainz made the comments off the back of a 2024 season in which he had claimed two race victories, but had also confirmed that he would be leaving Ferrari after being displaced by Lewis Hamilton and instead joining Williams.

The Grove-based outfit were one of the only viable options for the Spaniard, even though it meant likely sacrificing fights at the front.

And largely that has been the case, with Sainz sat down in 13th in the drivers' standings with just 38 points from 21 grands prix weekends in 2025.

However, the 31-year-old did manage to claim a podium at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was certainly ahead of schedule for Williams as they have experienced a brilliant season, currently sat in fifth in the constructors' championship.

One fan in Las Vegas asked Sainz if he will apologise for suggesting that he will not be fighting for podiums at the start of the season, saying: "Do you ever plan on apologising for lying to us when you said that you would not be in the top five or on any podiums this year?"

Sainz took a while to think about it. "Do I ever plan on apologising? Hmmm. I'm sorry."

Sainz hoping for more in 2026

There's no doubt that Williams have one of the best driver lineups on the entire grid, with Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon maximising the performance of their Williams cars in 2025 to put the team in with a shout of claiming their highest championship finish since 2017.

But, they do not want to stop there. Team principal James Vowles admitted long ago that the team's focus was firmly on 2026, with wholesale new regulations sweeping into the sport.

Those new regulations offer a chance for Williams to make a jump on their competitors, and potentially challenge more regularly with the top four teams in the sport.

As well as having a formidable driver duo, Williams also have a Mercedes power unit, and Mercedes have been rumoured to be the team who have mastered the upcoming engine regulations better than anyone else.

I wonder whether Sainz will make the same claim next year, or whether he will delight his fans with a bolder, more ambitious prediction.

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