Carlos Sainz made an appeal to Williams after the team’s difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Spaniard asked the team to take advantage of the April break to return more competitive at the Miami GP.
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The Grove-based team had a tough start to the season and appears among the back of the grid. The scenario represents a significant setback compared to 2025, when Williams consistently scored points and finished the constructors’ championship in fifth place.
This unexpected five-week break in the calendar, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs, offers an important opportunity for teams to develop upgrades. Sainz highlighted that the period could be decisive for Williams to try to recover ground before the next round: “I hope the team makes a big effort throughout this month, to bring something to Miami that represents a good step forward,” said the Spaniard. The driver pointed out, however, that the evolution also depends on the performance of the competitors.
“Everything in sport is relative. You can take a big step forward, but if others also take a big step, you haven’t advanced,” he said. According to him, the focus should be on surpassing the development pace of the other teams.
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Sainz also pointed out that Williams can still be behind even with relevant improvements: “You can still be three tenths behind the midfield pack. So it’s more about the size of the step you take relative to the other teams,” he added.
One of Williams’ main problems this season has been the car’s weight above ideal. However, Sainz stated that just solving this issue will not be enough to put the team back in contention: “We know we have a lot of weight to take off the car,” he said. The driver also highlighted the need to improve aerodynamic performance.
“We have a lot of downforce to add. It will depend on how much we can do for Miami,” concluded the Spaniard, showing expectation for a reaction from Williams at the next Formula 1 round.
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