Speaking to a betting site, the Canadian singled out Sauber and Williams as the surprise packages of the season.

Sauber managed to secure a podium with Nico Hulkenberg despite finishing second from last in the standings, while the Grove-based outfit led by James Vowles took a huge step forward, ending the year fifth in the constructors’ championship with two podium finishes — both delivered by Carlos Sainz.

“I was surprised by the smaller teams like Williams and Sauber, Williams especially,” he said. “Carlos Sainz has basically changed the team. The team stepped forward and got results that were much higher than what they were anticipating because the car had really evolved.

The Spaniard ended the 2025 campaign with momentum firmly on his side, having shrugged off a difficult opening phase to deliver a much more convincing second half of the season. Although he ultimately finished just behind his team-mate in the standings, two podium finishes capped off a clear resurgence and fuelled optimism within the team as Williams look to push themselves towards the front next year.

While he notes that Sainz operates very differently to a driver like Max Verstappen, Herbert remains convinced the Spaniard would be more than capable of fighting for a championship if given a title-contending car.