Carlos Sainz Demands Improvement
Carlos Sainz has admitted his surprise at Williams' poor performance in 2026. The Spanish driver finished 14th in the drivers' championship after seven race weekends.
Sainz joined Williams in January 2025, but has struggled to find form, claiming only six points so far in 2026. He finished behind teammate Alex Albon in the standings in 2025.
The Williams car has been overweight, hindering Sainz's ability to compete. Despite being a grand prix winner as recently as 2024, Sainz has found himself down in 14th place.
Rumours of an exit from Williams have emerged, with Audi a potential destination for Sainz. The German car brand has a good relationship with Sainz's father, also called Carlos Sainz.
Sainz has driven for five different teams across his career in F1. He was replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, but eventually landed on Williams.
Sainz has called for the team to 'do more' to improve their performance. He revealed that upgrades are coming for Williams, but is unsure of their impact.
The Spanish driver has emphasized the need for the team to focus on finding points of downforce or kilos of weight. He believes that even though the team is pushing flat-out, they probably need to do more.
Sainz finished between 1.6 and 1.9 seconds from the leaders at the Barcelona track. He is currently 14th in the drivers' championship, with only six points from the opening seven race weekends.
The 31-year-old driver has stated that he thinks it's time to go back to the drawing board and start bringing more things to the car. Sainz told media in Barcelona that the team needs to realise that they are very far from where they should be.
Sainz has already driven for a number of teams, including Ferrari and Williams. He is still held in high regard around the paddock, despite his current struggles.
The future of Sainz at Williams remains uncertain, with exit rumours continuing to swirl. Audi is a potential destination for the Spanish driver, who is determined to improve his performance in 2026.