JUST IN: Carlos Sainz set for his final race as a Ferrari driver heading into the final round of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix..

JUST IN: Carlos Sainz set for his final race as a Ferrari driver heading into the final round of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Juan Pablo Montoya confident of how Carlos Sainz will create ‘a good opportunity’ for Franco Colapinto.

Carlos Sainz is heading into the final round of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preparing for his final race as a Ferrari driver.

The Spaniard is moving to Williams after he was forced to leave Ferrari due to being replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz has performed admirably this season in his final year with the Italian team and won two races, including a superb drive at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver has consistently been in and around the top five all season which has been critical to the Italian team’s challenge for the Constructors’ Championship.

Sainz will be partnering with Thai driver Alex Albon, the British team, as Williams will be looking to use his experience to progress towards the front of the field.

Juan Pablo Montoya feels the Spaniard may have the upper hand over Albon next season and explains how he could create a chance for Franco Colapinto.

Alex Albon will ‘suffer a lot’ with Carlos Sainz as a teammate at Williams

Albon has been leading Williams since 2022 after he returned to Formula 1 and there have been some difficult times as the team have been floundering at the back of the field.

The Thai driver has been very reliable and took advantage of some chaotic races this year to score points such as in Monaco with a ninth place finish, staying away from a first lap incident.

He has easily beaten Logan Sargeant this year but Argentine Colapinto has been more of a challenge towards the end of the year.

Sainz is highly experienced and may be a challenging teammate for Albon to match over next season. This could pressure the Thai driver with Colapinto waiting in the wings.

Montoya feels Albon may start making mistakes if he’s under pressure from Sainz, which could allow Colapinto to step into the team.

He explained to the AS Colombia YouTube channel: “I think Albon is going to suffer a lot with Carlos Sainz as a teammate, and where Albon suffers a lot and starts to crash.

“I don’t know what happened to Franco with his results in the races. What’s going to happen to Albon and people are going to start talking, and they’re going to think about replacing him, and then I think Franco could have a good opportunity for the future.”

Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon need to collaborate next season

Sainz and Albon need to develop a competitive car at Williams by working effectively and not damaging the car, which has been a problem for Williams.

Colapinto suffered a 50G impact in Las Vegas which is a significant impact that forced him to start from the pit lane, all but ending his hopes of racing in F1 next year.

The impressive line-up Williams have in 2025 should help them to move up into the points more consistently, and Sainz’s race-winning experience may help.

Williams are one of the smaller teams on the grid, and they need to make updates work, as the cost cap means they can’t spend as much as possible.