Carlos Sainz Jr., fresh from a Singapore Grand Prix in which he staged an impressive comeback, opened up about Williams’ objectives for 2026 and how the new regulations will impact performance. After a slightly challenging start to the season, Sainz appears to have found the right rhythm with his new team. In Baku, he helped Williams return to the podium for the first time in four years. In Singapore, due to the disqualification of both cars for a DRS issue, Carlos Sainz had to fight his way back through the field, climbing from last place to finish in tenth thanks to a bold strategy.
Williams’ focus on 2026
From the very beginning of the season, Williams has been transparent about prioritizing work for 2026 given the significant changes introduced by the new regulations. Despite this, the Grove-based team has made remarkable progress in 2025. Sainz, speaking on El Partidazo de COPE, highlighted both his personal objectives and those of the team for 2026, explaining how the new regulations will reshape the cars.
The new Mercedes engine
Carlos Sainz emphasized the progress Williams has achieved in a short time, saying, “The team has gone from ninth to fifth. It’s a big step forward, and I’m happy to see it and be part of it because it’s an enormous improvement. In Formula 1, gaining four positions from one year to the next shows that you are doing things correctly.”
Next year, Williams will run a Mercedes engine, which appears to be one of the most developed power units on the grid. Carlos Sainz stressed the importance of this factor in his decision to join the team: “Yes, I have a lot of confidence in the Mercedes engine, and that was one of the main reasons I chose Williams for this regulation change. I knew I would have the Mercedes engine, and everything I’ve received regarding the Mercedes engine is positive, and it still is now. But let’s not forget: Mercedes will power Mercedes, McLaren will have a Mercedes engine, Alpine will also run Mercedes… and so will Williams. It will be a tight battle.”
A first look at the 2026 car
Carlos Sainz also revealed that he has already had the opportunity to test the 2026 car in the simulator. “I’ve tried next year’s car; it’s a radical change in the simulator. The whole scenario changes; it’s very different,” he explained. He added, “For example, I think from 0 to 300 km/h, or 0 to 250-300 km/h, the car will be faster. We will reach 300 km/h much earlier than now. In theory, the battery will cut out much earlier on the straight — we’ll reach 320 km/h very quickly, much faster than now because we’ll have more power. But then we’ll lose the battery, which next year will account for 50% of the power, and we’ll spend a lot of time on the straight without the battery.”
These insights provide a glimpse into how the Williams 2026 car will perform under the new regulations and highlight the strategic importance of the Mercedes engine as teams prepare for the radical changes that the next season will bring.
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