Williams driver Carlos Sainz stated that Formula 1 is still far from completely solving the problems faced in qualifying sessions in 2026. Even after the changes implemented by the FIA before the Miami GP, the Spaniard believes that the current scenario still does not meet the expected level for the category.
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Criticism increased in the early stages of the season due to the behavior of the cars during qualifying sessions. Fans showed dissatisfaction seeing drivers slowing down on straights, downshifting, and saving energy in fast corners instead of completing laps at the maximum limit.
For Miami, the FIA made adjustments to the regulations after listening to drivers and teams. Although the North American circuit is considered more favorable to energy management than other tracks visited previously, the general feeling in the paddock was that the category took a small step in the right direction.
Sainz acknowledged the progress but stated that Formula 1 still has a long way to go to solve the problem: “I think there is still a long way to go for qualifying sessions. I will no longer criticize this. I will just try to be proactive and keep insisting that this is not good enough for Formula 1,” he said.
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The Williams driver also positively evaluated the impact of the changes on the races. According to him, the spectacle presented in Miami was better, in addition to highlighting the FIA’s stance during the weekend when dealing with concerns involving rain and intermediate tires.
“It seems that at least the races got a little better. I am also happy with the measures taken to bring the race forward, and I think the FIA this weekend, listening to concerns about wet track and intermediate tires, cannot be criticized,” he added.
The Spaniard also highlighted that the environment within Formula 1 seems more aligned after recent talks between the FIA, drivers, and teams. For him, there is now a collective effort to find more suitable solutions for the future of the category: “I think they did a brilliant job and now it seems that everyone is working in the same direction. We just need to convince some power unit manufacturers that this should not be Formula 1’s solution for qualifying sessions, and we need to keep evolving,” he concluded.
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