Williams still far from top teams despite 2025 sacrifices, says Sainz
Speaking to the media during Day 5 of official Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz addressed several key topics surrounding the major 2026 regulation changes. The Spanish driver discussed energy management concerns, the potential expansion of Sprint weekends, and delivered a realistic assessment of Williams’ current position ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
Sainz on energy management: “If it becomes extreme, I expect regulation changes”
Sainz began by highlighting the complexity introduced by the new power unit regulations, particularly regarding energy deployment and recovery. He stressed the importance of maintaining flexibility at the start of the season, especially from a sporting and spectator perspective.
“In Melbourne it will probably be worse in terms of energy management, but I haven’t yet tested the calibrations we’re working on in the simulator compared to what we’ll find there. In general, my message to FOM and FIA is that at the beginning of the year we need to remain a bit flexible, in case the regulations we’ve set are perhaps a bit too extreme regarding energy recovery and deployment over a lap.”
The Spaniard explained that circuits such as Australia or Jeddah could pose even bigger challenges due to limited recharging opportunities, while teams are still learning the true limits of the new hybrid systems.
“Here in Bahrain it shouldn’t be as dramatic, although I still think it’s not completely ideal. But tracks like Melbourne or possibly Jeddah, which require more energy management… I think we might need some regulatory adjustments. The change is so big that nobody could predict how much downforce and drag the cars would have, or what level of energy management teams would apply.”
Sainz on Sprint weekends: “The Sprint reveals too much about Sunday”
Sainz also weighed in on the ongoing debate within the F1 Commission regarding the future of Sprint weekends. While open to increasing the number from six to twelve, he believes the format still needs refinement.
“Sometimes the Sprint reveals too much about what will happen on Sunday. If we manage to improve it and make it a bit different from the main race, I would be in favor of having more Sprint races.”
The former Ferrari driver also pointed out the added workload for drivers, especially with Friday qualifying sessions and increased media commitments.
“Friday qualifying and Saturday would become much more demanding. FOM and F1 would need to adapt the weekend format to give us time to prepare properly. In recent years, the level of commitment required from drivers has been extremely heavy.”
Williams struggling with weight and downforce deficit
Discussing the new generation of cars, Sainz admitted that they are more difficult to drive compared to last season.
“It’s the same old story. Whoever is fast says the regulations are great, and those who are struggling say they don’t like them. After four days with these regulations, the cars are much slower, harder to drive, the driveability is worse, everything is a bit worse. In the end you have less grip, less downforce, but it’s still very early.”
Williams had placed significant emphasis on the 2026 regulation reset, with team principal James Vowles repeatedly stating that the focus for over a year had been on this new era. However, the winter proved more challenging than expected. Crash test failures forced the team to skip the Barcelona shakedown, and the FW48 only made its debut in Bahrain—reportedly overweight.
“Until last year everyone was very optimistic, we thought we were on the right path. But this winter has taught us that we are still far away—all of us, not just Williams. When you look at the other six teams outside the top four, we are still far from the level required to develop and produce new cars under such a major regulation change.”
Sainz was clear that the performance gap cannot be blamed solely on excess weight.
“We start with a weight problem and a downforce problem, because considering the gap to the cars ahead, it’s not just weight. There is a real performance difference.”
Despite the sacrifices made in 2025 to prioritize this regulation shift, Williams appears less prepared than the top teams, who arrived in Bahrain with more refined packages.
“It’s a lesson to learn—for everyone.”
More mistakes expected early in the season
Looking ahead to the opening races, Sainz predicts increased variability and a higher likelihood of driver errors, both in qualifying and during races.
“I can guarantee we will see more mistakes, not only in the race but also in qualifying. The variability from one lap to another with the power unit, but also with the wind and lighter cars, is incredible. The same applies in races with battery management. At least in the first few races, you’ll see some surprises.”
However, he reassured fans that improvements will come as teams gain experience.
“If we adapt and allow the engineers to do their job, with more experience and knowledge of the power units, everything will improve during the year and become easier.”
For now, though, Williams faces a steep climb. While the 2026 regulations were seen as an opportunity to close the gap, early indications from Bahrain suggest the Grove-based team still has significant work ahead to challenge Formula 1’s leading outfits.
Carlos Sainz has therefore highlighted a sobering reality for Williams in Bahrain, admitting the team is struggling with significant weight and downforce deficits while warning that the complex 2026 energy management regulations could lead to unpredictable races and driver errors in the early rounds of the championship.
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