Carlos Sainz Advises Williams Junior Will Green on Single-Seater Transition
Carlos Sainz has told 13-year-old Williams Racing Academy junior Will Green to chase limits rather than play it safe as he moves up from karting into single-seater machinery. The 32-year-old Williams driver gave the advice directly to Green, who joined the academy in December 2024 and has just been crowned 2026 Karting European Championship junior champion.
“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s better to push too hard and make mistakes than try and be too conservative,” Sainz said. It’s a simple message, but one built on years of experience near the front of the grid.
Williams YouTube Interview Details and Primary Sourcing
The exchange came during an interview Green himself conducted with Sainz for the official Williams YouTube channel, giving the young karter a rare chance to quiz a current grand prix driver about his own path through the junior ranks. Sainz used the platform to lay out exactly how he thinks a driver at Green’s stage should approach risk on track.
“You are at the age where it’s important to learn as much as possible. So, don’t be scared,” Sainz told him. He went further on the value of pushing hard even when it doesn’t come off straight away: “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, risk too much and go for overtakes or last-lap moves that maybe are too risky. I would say that age is the time to do it because that’s when you will learn the most.” The full exchange is covered in Motorsport.com reporting.
Karting Success and Tactical Value of Finding Limits Early
Green’s record on track backs up why Sainz sees him as a driver worth trusting with that message. He landed the 2026 Karting European Championship junior title having only signed for the Williams academy in December 2024, a rapid rise that has put him firmly on the radar of a team keen to grow its own young talent. Sainz clearly views the karting years as the moment to build confidence rather than caution.
“Always try to be as close to the limit as possible. Obviously, don’t do anything stupid. If you can avoid stupid mistakes, avoid stupid mistakes. But go and take risks because when they pay off, you feel a lot of confidence, and that’s where your talent multiplies,” he said. That’s the mindset Sainz wants a young driver to carry into his first single-seater laps.
Sainz also reflected on his own switch from karts to cars, a jump he insists felt natural rather than daunting. “I felt that going from karting to cars was quite natural to me. It didn’t feel weird,” he added, a line that should reassure a junior about to make the same move himself.
Sainz has spoken plenty about his own karting roots this year, including when he brought out his old karting helmet tribute in Madrid.
Upcoming Single-Seater Progression Timeline for Will Green
Sainz did not put a date on when Green will make his single-seater debut, and Williams have not confirmed a specific car or category for that step. What Sainz did offer was a clear picture of what the transition actually feels like from behind the wheel.
“You will jump in a car one day. They will teach you how to drive with the gears, with everything. The first two laps will be strange but then your natural instinct of just pushing flat out whatever they give you will kick in and you will find a way,” he said. It’s advice rooted in his own route through the junior categories and into Formula 1, a path he has continued to reflect on this season, including in this Spanish Grand Prix layout debate. For now, Green’s focus stays on the karting circuit and the lessons Sainz has laid out for him.
