The Williams driver was surprised after the first day of testing in Bahrain: GPS data shows an impressive advantage for the Red Bull Ford power unit.
Carlos Sainz was struck by Red Bull’s superiority during the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The Spanish driver for Williams analyzed the GPS data from the afternoon session with his team and seems to have no doubts.
Williams arrived in Sakhir late, having skipped the Barcelona tests. Despite this, the new FW48 completed 77 laps in the morning session without any issues. In the afternoon, Alex Albon took over the wheel while Sainz focused on studying the competition.
Red Bull-Ford: a strong start?
“From yesterday’s GPS data, what Red Bull was doing was a clear step ahead of everyone else,” Sainz stated. “Not just a small advantage, but a noticeable pace difference, and it was truly impressive.” The new power unit, developed in collaboration with Ford, seems to be proving significantly stronger than what rivals expected.
“If they can arrive in Australia with completely new regulations, a new engine, new people, and still be the fastest and most reliable, hats off to them,” the Spaniard added.
Battery management is key under the new regulations
Sainz highlighted a crucial technical aspect for the 2026 regulations: keeping the use of the electric component as consistent as possible throughout the lap. Red Bull appears to have already solved this challenge.
“From what I saw yesterday, it seems Red Bull is doing exactly that, without compromising the driver,” Sainz explained. According to him, the Milton Keynes team allows its drivers to drive as they prefer while managing energy recovery in a transparent way.
In Sainz’s view, the future of these regulations will depend on the perfect integration of these two aspects. Red Bull may have already found a solution that others will spend years trying to replicate.
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