Despite the strong impression Carlos Sainz left during pre-season testing in Bahrain, his start with Williams has been far from smooth. First, he crashed under Safety Car conditions in the rain in Melbourne, and then he struggled throughout the Chinese GP weekend—his only consolation being the single point gained due to the disqualifications of both Ferrari cars and Pierre Gasly.
Chassis Issues?
The unexpected difficulties, especially compared to Alexander Albon’s strong performances, alarmed Spanish media, who immediately searched for possible reasons behind the former Ferrari driver’s struggles.
Carlos Sainz himself admitted after the Shanghai race that he couldn’t understand why his car’s behavior differed from winter testing: “I’m a bit puzzled because since I first drove the car in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain tests, I was immediately quick. But now, I don’t know where the pace and feeling with the car have gone.” This uncertainty led to an intriguing theory—one reminiscent of Williams’ troubles last season.
Spanish reports suggested that Carlos Sainz might be using a rebuilt 2024 chassis, whereas Alex Albon already has the 2025 version. The reason? Financial constraints imposed by the budget cap, which Williams must navigate after suffering millions in damages from crashes last year.
Williams Denies the Theory
However, Williams promptly denied this claim, as reported by journalist Chris Medland: “The 2025 monocoque has been modified from the FW46 and is the same for both drivers. The FW47 is an evolution of the previous model and, as we’ve already explained, aligns with our goals for 2026.”
Additionally, the Grove-based team has three 2025 chassis available, meaning Carlos Sainz could switch to another one if he and the team deemed it necessary.
The true cause of the Spaniard’s struggles remains unclear, with just under ten days left to prepare for the next race in Suzuka.
Leave a Reply