Carlos Sainz has made it clear where the priorities lie for Williams in 2026. The British racing team will have to try to rectify a difficult start to the season after the spring break. With only one points finish in three Grands Prix – a ninth place in Shanghai – the team is currently trailing the rest of the midfield. In the run-up to the new season, Williams was already plagued by production problems and delays.
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According to Sainz, the biggest challenge lies in the weight of the car, something that is visibly affecting Williams this season in both qualifying and the race. “To be honest, we still have a lot of weight to lose, that’s no secret,” he explained after the recent Japanese GP. “Would it be a good car if we could get the weight down?” he wondered aloud. “I honestly think we need to improve even more. Apart from the weight, I believe this team has the potential to produce a much better car,” he continued.
Teammate Alex Albon shared that sentiment. During qualifying in Japan, he failed to join the fastest sixteen. “It must be my driving style,” he sighed cynically over the team radio. For now, however, the engineers are faced with a mystery. Already during the shakedown in Barcelona – which Williams had to miss due to delays in the production process – it became clear that the team is struggling with fundamental problems.
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Perspective
Despite the disappointing start, Sainz still sees enough perspective for the rest of the season. The Spaniard emphasizes that there are gains to be made in several areas. He urges the team to focus on structural improvements. “The reality is that we can all perform much better and as a team we must not only reduce the weight of the car, but also increase downforce and improve the balance,” he summarized. “Those are the goals for this year,” the Spaniard concluded.
Sainz was convinced to make the switch to Williams in 2024. He believed in the long-term project that team principal James Vowles had set up in Grove. According to former driver Martin Brundle, Sainz currently has little choice but to commit to the British team: there aren’t many alternatives left.
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