The Williams driver says energy management forces drivers to be too disciplined, although he understands the system 95%, he admits it goes against his aggressive nature behind the wheel.
The new era of Formula 1 has not only changed the cars, but also the way drivers must approach a flying lap. Carlos Sainz, the Williams driver, has become the latest critical voice against the current qualifying format. His complaint is not about a lack of speed or grip, but about something deeper: the loss of the "animal instinct" that for decades defined the best driver on the grid.
The problem lies in the greater dependence on electrical energy brought by the 2026 regulations: drivers must manage the battery throughout the lap, avoiding accelerating to the maximum in certain sections to not compromise the system. Any small mistake, like a slide or a miscalculated braking point, can completely alter the car's behavior and ruin the attempt.
Sainz explained that, although he and his engineers have worked intensely during the winter to understand this new dynamic, the frustration persists: "The engineers and I did an excellent job during the winter to understand this, and we're doing a great job driving in these conditions. I understand it between 90% and 95%, but surprises still come up every now and then," said the Spaniard.
The challenge, according to the #55 driver, is not technical but emotional. It's about disciplining an instinct that every driver has inside: "There's that natural instinct, the 'animal instinct', to push to the limit on a Q2 or Q3 lap, but you have to think about how much that will affect the system," he explained. Before, qualifying was a matter of daring and precision, now, it's an exercise in control and constant calculation.
The Williams driver acknowledges that this new reality goes against the essence of aggressive driving: "The system starts to interpret the situation differently, which goes against our instinct, that's why we often get frustrated after qualifying, because we always feel we could have done better," he added.
For Sainz, the solution is not to eliminate the technology, but to find a fairer balance: "It's more about the discipline one wants to have behind the wheel. We always think we could be more efficient behind the wheel, but the reality is understanding how far it's worth pushing."
His statements add to a growing chorus of criticism among drivers. While figures like Max Verstappen have described the cars as "anti racing," Sainz focuses on a more subtle but equally relevant aspect: the loss of spontaneity and spectacle in the purest moment of competition, the fast lap.
F1 will return from May 1 to 3 with the Miami Grand Prix, and there we will see if drivers manage to tame their instinct or if, on the contrary, the complaints intensify.