F1 | Carlos Sainz is facing challenges during Bahrain pre-season testing and has made a request to the FIA regarding the new technical regulations that are already generating discussion among teams and drivers.
The Spanish driver explained that the focus of these Bahrain tests is primarily on recovering the time lost during the previous test in Barcelona. During the Barcelona sessions, the Williams car barely ran, leaving the team at a disadvantage compared to the other competitors. Despite this, Carlos Sainz appears motivated and determined to extract the maximum from the car, even while acknowledging its limitations.
Now, Sainz is concentrating on improving performance, but the limitations of the Williams are clear. He explained in a press conference with the attending media, including GP-News.net, that the team’s primary goal over the first few days was to accumulate as many laps as possible and regain continuity after the difficulties in Barcelona.
He stated that, “I think what we’ve done in the last few days, essentially recovering the time lost in Barcelona by adding many laps with the car, has gone well. The car is functioning. While last week the main priority was simply to put mileage on the car, this week we are finally starting to focus a bit more on lap times and performance, trying to optimize the car setup.”
However, working on the setup is also revealing certain weaknesses. Carlos Sainz added, “This allows us to discover the limits and the areas where we need to improve, which unfortunately are quite numerous. When you miss tests, you fall a little behind, and it’s more difficult to immediately understand where to position the car in terms of setup.”
In addition to addressing the car’s performance, Carlos Sainz made a specific appeal to the FIA and Formula 1 management regarding the new technical regulations, which are already creating debate among drivers and teams.
He explained, “My message is to remain open-minded in case we need to adjust or refine something to make the category and the racing spectacle better. We should stay flexible instead of being too rigidly tied to a certain level of energy management.”
The new technical regulations, particularly regarding energy management, have already sparked discussion, and the likelihood that Formula 1 may intervene to implement adjustments is high. Several drivers have expressed concern over the new cars, arguing that they restrict their ability to push the cars to the limit since they are forced to manage energy carefully during sessions and races.
Carlos Sainz has therefore admitted that Williams is facing a steep uphill battle following their missed Barcelona test, while simultaneously urging the FIA to remain flexible with the 2026 regulations to ensure that energy management does not overshadow the spectacle of on-track racing.
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