With a Williams car underneath him that is just three tenths of a second off pole position, Carlos Sainz has confessed to wondering just what could be possible this season if his team threw more effort at developing the FW47.
Sainz thinks there is potential in what it has right now to make a "very big step" that could help it properly close in on the front of the grid.
Williams is believed to have been the first team to have switched off windtunnel development of its 2025 challenger in a bid to ensure that it takes no focus at all off work for the all-new regulations coming next season.
However, with its current form being better than expected, and that margin to the front being so close after Sainz ended up sixth on the grid in Miami, one place ahead of team-mate Alex Albon, some thoughts have emerged about what might be achievable if Williams actually focused on 2025.
Asked by The Race after qualifying about what is in play for Williams, Sainz said: “When I see those three tenths to the top, my will to develop this car is there, because I perfectly know where this car [can be improved].
"The moment you put it in the windtunnel and try to target the two or three areas that I've been telling the team where there's clearly a lot more potential, and if the team manages to give me that, I think we could do a very big step quality-wise.
"But the plan is the plan. We're not going to do that. We're going to focus on next year and put all the eggs in that basket.
"Obviously that potential that I see, especially only in my sixth race, to be three tenths off pole is encouraging. But we will need to keep it calm."
Sainz has long known the plan at Williams to not develop the 2025 car, but that has not stopped him mentioning to team boss James Vowles his thoughts on what could be achieved if there was a change of approach.
But however much he may wish for Vowles to give some ground, Sainz confesses that one of his boss's core strengths is sticking to his word.
And Vowles knows that the long term benefits of shutting down work on its 2025 car far outweigh any gains that can be made in results this year if it pulled back some development effort.
“I've told him," said Sainz about his conversations with Vowles on the matter.
"I said'How much can we do? How much CFD? How much windtunnel?'.
More from Miami Saturday
Beaten by Williams on 'pure pace' - Ferrari's F1 season hits new low
Mark Hughes: McLaren needs to learn from ruthless Verstappen execution
Verstappen beats Norris to Miami pole
Penalties cost three drivers including Albon Miami sprint points finishes
“But I like JV because he's a man with a very clear plan and he will commit 100% to it. He trusts his feeling, his plan, his project and I back him.
“That's why I committed to James as an individual but also as a team to Williams, because I see a project and a very clear ambition, very clear targets and we need to commit to them and stick to them.
“He also promised me this year's car would be an improvement to last year and so far he's been a man of his word.
"I'm glad that's going in the right direction.”
