Carlos Sainz has delivered a candid assessment of Williams’ current Formula 1 struggles, admitting the team faces a bigger challenge than many expected after a difficult start to the new regulations era. While upgrades are on the way, the Spaniard has warned that they may not be enough to close the significant gap separating Williams from both the frontrunners and its direct midfield rivals.
The comments come after another difficult weekend for the Grove-based outfit at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Sainz finished 12th, two laps behind race winner Lewis Hamilton. The result highlighted the scale of the task facing Williams, after beginning the season with an overweight FW48 and a development programme already playing catch-up.
In light of Sainz’s contract with Williams ending this year, Paddock rumours suggest that despite the Spaniards public endorsement to the Williams project, the driver’s management is already making enquiries with other teams.
Williams paying the price for difficult start to the season
When Sainz chose to join Williams following his departure from Ferrari, the four-time Grand Prix winner understood the project would require patience.
The Spaniard bought into Team Principal James Vowles‘ long-term vision of returning Williams to the front of the grid. However, the reality of the team’s start to Formula 1’s new era has proven even more challenging than anticipated.
Williams entered the season later than several rivals in terms of development readiness, while the FW48 arrived at the opening races carrying excess weight that immediately compromised performance.
Although significant efforts continue behind the scenes to improve the car, the team has yet to make the gains needed to establish itself as a consistent midfield contender.
Sainz questions whether upgrades will be enough
Williams is preparing an update package aimed at improving the FW48’s competitiveness, but Sainz remains cautious about what it can realistically achieve.
“I know an update is in the works, and these usually work well for this team,” Sainz explained.
However, he added a warning that underlined the scale of the challenge facing Williams.
“I’m not sure it will be enough to make up the deficit we have on this type of track. We need to work even harder than we already are.’
The comments reflect growing concern within the team about the fundamental limitations of the current package, particularly on circuits that expose weaknesses in high-speed performance.
Barcelona exposed the scale of the deficit
The Circuit de Barcelona–Catalunya has long been viewed as one of Formula 1’s most revealing venues when it comes to evaluating overall car performance.
Williams admit the data gathered there was sobering: “We mustn’t forget that Barcelona is a very good racetrack for measuring a car’s performance,” Sainz said.
“We were between 1.6 and 1.9 seconds behind the leaders, and almost six or seven tenths behind the first cars from the midfield.”
Those numbers reinforced concerns that Williams is currently operating in a category below its immediate rivals, on tracks dominated by medium and high-speed corners.
“The gap to the midfield is pretty much as we expected. We’re struggling with the medium-speed and high-speed corners, as was already evident in Suzuka, where we were really far behind the midfield, half a lap down,” he added.
Circuits ahead raise fresh concerns
While the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix may offer some relief, Sainz believes several races later in the season could expose Williams’ weaknesses once again.
“It should be a bit better in Spielberg, but that’s not very encouraging, because after that, we have tracks where we’ll struggle again.”
The Spaniard singled out a number of upcoming venues that he expects will prove particularly challenging.
“We mustn’t forget that some racetracks are good for us, others are bad. After the Red Bull Ring, we’re going to Silverstone, and that will be even tougher than here in Barcelona.’
“Going to Canada, Monaco, and Austria is only a temporary relief. Because then Silverstone, Spa, and Hungary are on the schedule.’
Will Sainz’s patience eventually run out?
While Sainz continues to publicly back the Williams project, the team’s difficult start to Formula 1’s new era is inevitably raising questions about how long that patience can realistically last.
TJ13 understands that representatives from Sainz’s management team have maintained conversations with rival teams, as the driver market movement gains momentum for 2026, especially given the fact that the Spaniards current contract runs out by the end of this year.
Those discussions are understood to be exploratory, rather than active negotiations, but they underline a reality facing both Sainz and Williams: time remains a valuable commodity for a driver entering the peak years of his career.
Publically committed to the Williams project but the clock is ticking
Recent movement elsewhere in the market, including Charles Leclerc’s long-term commitment to Ferrari, has only intensified scrutiny around Sainz’s future. While Williams continues to target a return to race-winning contention by the end of the decade, the Spaniard’s primary objective remains clear.
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Sainz reiterated his commitment to the Grove-based outfit.
“I know I obviously need to take a decision this year about my future, but at the same time, I made it very clear to Williams and to my management team that my priority is to make this project work.”
“When I did the commitment a couple of years ago to come here, it was with the commitment of trying to make this work, and I wish we can do that.”
However, Sainz also acknowledged that Williams’ progress has not followed the trajectory that had originally been anticipated.
“Obviously, this year, we’ve hit a bit of a big bump that we didn’t expect, and now all my attention and focus is to try and get this team out of the bump as soon as possible.”
Podium in two years is the target, but will it be with Williams?
The Spaniard revealed that the original roadmap envisioned Williams becoming a regular podium contender by 2029, before fighting for victories the following year.
“I think we were maybe looking [at] about 2029, podiums consistently, and then 2030 the win. I knew there was not going to be any winning in Williams until at least ’28, ’29, ’30.’
“It is true that we’ve just been through a pretty big bump in the road to recovery.”
Those comments illustrate the balancing act now facing Sainz. Publicly, he remains fully committed to helping Williams recover from its current difficulties. Privately, however, the clock is ticking on a career that has already delivered four Grand Prix victories, and experience at Ferrari, McLaren and Williams.
“I’m committed to try and help the team get out of this slump and do the best we can to recover,” Sainz said.
“I just want to be winning in F1, that’s my main message to my management, and at the same time help Williams get back to the top.”
For now, there is no indication that Sainz is preparing an immediate exit. But, unless Williams can begin to show tangible progress against its midfield rivals, questions about his long-term future are only likely to grow louder as the 2026 season unfolds.
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