Sainz Doubts Williams Project for the First Time

Carlos Sainz said that Williams' poor start to the 2026 season made him doubt the project for the first time. The driver, after internal team analyses, expressed his belief...

Scraper SystemJune 05, 2026, 11:04 AM

Sainz Doubts Williams Project for the First Time

Carlos Sainz said that Williams' weak start to the 2026 Formula 1 season made him think about the team's future for the first time. Starting the season by scoring points three times in five race weekends, Sainz emphasized that the car's performance was noticeably behind last year's level.

Williams' FW48 car ranked ninth in the average speed standings at this stage of the season. Evaluating the situation before the Monaco Grand Prix, Sainz openly stated that even if the weight problem of the car was solved, its potential might not be sufficient.

"This car is not enough" assessment

Sainz said that the team did not see the problem as limited only to excess weight, but that there were also deficiencies in the way the car produced performance. The driver, stating that Williams fell short of expectations in many areas, expressed that he saw finishing at least ahead of the midfield group by the end of the season as a realistic goal.

The Spanish driver recalled that he had previously described Williams' situation as "a shock." This time, he gave a clear answer to whether this directly tested his belief in the project and said that it was definitely a test for him.

Sainz explained that dropping about two and a half seconds in pace at the start of the season compared to a situation where podiums were achieved in the last part of the previous year was a serious shock. He stated that this decline clearly showed the difference between expectations and reality.

Comprehensive analysis within the team

Sainz also shared that he was one of the first to tell the team management that this was an unexpected situation. Then, a comprehensive evaluation was made with James Vowles and senior team members, examining one by one how the problem started and where it deepened.

After this process, Sainz said his opinion was strengthened again and that the shock forced some changes within the team. According to him, this situation allowed some weaknesses that would normally go unnoticed to be corrected.

Sainz stated that for this reason, he thought the difficulties experienced might have also produced beneficial results for the team. He said the team took strong steps to prevent the same problems from recurring and thoroughly reviewed some systems.

2025 raised expectations

He admitted that Williams' 2025 car exceeded expectations and that this might have raised his own expectations for 2026. However, he added that solving the weight problem would take longer than he wanted.

Emphasizing that the team has to prioritize carefully due to the budget cap in Formula 1, Sainz said that focusing only on weight was not enough and that performance gains were needed in other areas as well.

Stating that he needs to be patient for the rest of the season, Sainz said he is focusing on his own performance and that he has personally found a good rhythm this season. According to him, Williams is trying to overcome this big blow experienced at the start of the year.

Sainz Doubts Williams Project for the First Time

Carlos Sainz said that Williams' poor start to the 2026 season made him doubt the project for the first time. The driver, after internal team analyses, expressed his belief...