Sainz is already leveraging the 2026 challenges for Williams' future.
"We have created a car that is overweight, behind schedule, and over budget."
Carlos Sainz has utilized part of his weekend at Monza to prepare for 2027, as Williams acknowledges that the upcoming upgrade for the troubled current car will not yield significant improvements in Baku. The Spaniard, confirmed to stay with Williams next season, mentioned that Friday’s practice was intentionally focused on testing new ideas for the next car.
"We didn’t take qualifying too seriously since we're trying out very different aspects on the car to gather insights for next year," he stated. "We are experimenting with some intriguing elements that will provide us with valuable information for the future, even if it means sacrificing a bit of this weekend."
Sainz has been quite straightforward about the current Williams, stating at Monza that it possesses "no real strengths and many weaknesses." Team principal James Vowles indicated that an upgrade is still planned for Baku, or possibly Malaysia if production delays occur, which will include weight reduction and aerodynamic enhancements.
"It won’t alter our season, as the mistakes and issues we faced over the winter were quite significant," Vowles remarked. "We’ve developed an overweight car, lagging behind schedule and exceeding the budget."
Vowles also dismissed parallels with Aston Martin’s substantial mid-season progress. "It’s a modified car, and there are positive aspects," he noted regarding Williams' upcoming upgrade. "But Aston has made a considerable leap forward; congratulations to them. That’s not what we will accomplish—I wish it were."
Despite this, Vowles appears increasingly convinced that retaining Sainz is crucial for Williams’ recovery, even comparing his technical insights favorably to those of Lewis Hamilton. "Carlos is the best driver I’ve worked with on the grid in terms of interacting with the engineers," Vowles said, having previously collaborated with Hamilton at Mercedes.
When specifically asked if his comments regarding Sainz included Hamilton, Vowles replied, "More than Lewis in that regard, yes." He explained, "Lewis can articulate sensations very well. However, when presented with data, he struggles to connect it to the specific point it corresponds to in that data. Carlos can make that connection."
According to Vowles, that skill is a significant reason he wanted Sainz to join Williams. "I hired him because he has the potential to transform a team from within and make it his own," he asserted.
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