F1 | 2026 forces Carlos Sainz Jr. to start from scratch: the driver’s confession. F1 | Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jr. prepares for a fresh start in 2026.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. has revealed the need to make significant changes to face the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Williams’ 2025 performance and context

Williams finished fifth in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship, just behind Ferrari. Throughout the season, the Grove-based team achieved solid results, including two podiums secured by Carlos Sainz Jr. In an exclusive interview with Racingnews365, Carlos Sainz discussed the upcoming regulation changes for 2026 and what they will mean for Formula 1 drivers.

Starting from scratch

After a somewhat challenging start, the Madrid-born driver found the right balance with the Williams car, enabling him to bring the team back onto the podium. However, for Sainz Jr., the regulation changes coming in the 2026 F1 season will force him to effectively reset everything he has built so far. In the interview, Williams driver #55 admitted: “Next season will feel like changing teams again because the car will feel completely new, completely raw for everyone.”

Transitioning from Ferrari to Williams required Sainz to adjust his driving style, and now, with the technical revolution underway, he will need to adapt it once more: “So all the changes I made to my driving style, all the tools I developed coming from Ferrari, they could all go straight into the bin.”

Opportunities amid the challenges

While the new regulations will force drivers to adapt to entirely different cars, they also have the potential to shake up the grid and provide opportunities for all teams. Sainz explained: “I have a lot of confidence that if the regulations had stayed stable, Williams and I would have been able to make another good step forward and continue to close the gap to the top of the field, but I don’t think we would have been able to fight for much more. The regulation changes, however, offer exactly that opportunity: the chance for an unexpected leap.”

As Carlos Sainz Jr. prepares for this uncertain future, the “reset” could be exactly what he and Williams need to bridge the gap to his former team. The 2026 season promises to be a test of adaptability, and Carlos Sainz’s willingness to throw his old playbook “in the bin” might just be the mindset required to lead Williams back to the winner’s circle.