The Spanish driver evaluated the initial performance of the Williams FW48 before the start of the 2026 championship and explained that the team still needs to better understand several aspects of the car to move closer to the midfield of the grid.
Carlos Sainz’s arrival at Williams is part of a rebuilding project aimed at returning the historic British team to a competitive position in Formula 1. However, the start of the 2026 season confirms that the process is still going through a phase of technical learning. The Spanish driver himself has acknowledged that the team identified several areas that require deeper analysis before aiming for more solid results.
During the first evaluations of the new single-seater, Sainz explained that the immediate goal is not to compare performance with the top teams, but to precisely understand how the car responds under different track conditions. This initial study phase becomes especially important in a season marked by one of the biggest regulatory changes of the last decades.
The new Williams FW48 was developed specifically to adapt to the technical regulations introduced in 2026, which significantly modify aerodynamics, engine architecture and energy management. The car began its development in early 2025, although the program also experienced delays that forced the team to reorganize its technical planning.
In that context, Sainz has taken a pragmatic stance when analyzing the team’s performance. The Spaniard emphasized that the team still needs to complete an internal evaluation process to understand exactly where it stands compared to its rivals. “There are areas to analyze and improve,” he acknowledged when referring to the car’s behavior during the first work sessions.
The driver also explained that the difficulty is not limited to a single part of the single-seater. In his view, the challenge lies in identifying how different technical elements of the car interact with each other, from aerodynamic load to the energy management of the new hybrid system.
One factor complicating the analysis is the nature of the 2026 regulations themselves. With more compact cars, a greater proportion of electric power, and active aerodynamic systems, teams are forced to reinterpret many of the solutions that had worked in previous cycles. For that reason, even teams with greater technical experience have admitted that they are still learning how to exploit the potential of their new cars.
Sainz also pointed out that knowledge of the car is built progressively over the first races. Each practice session allows teams to gather data that helps improve the car’s operating window and adjust the setup for different circuits.
In Williams’ case, that data collection is even more relevant after a complicated winter in which the team lost part of the time planned for initial testing. The driver acknowledged that this delay can influence the initial understanding of the car, although he trusts the team can recover ground as the championship progresses.
Williams’ sporting project also has a broader horizon than the current season. Since arriving at the team, Sainz has insisted that the team needs to consolidate new working methods in order to compete consistently against more established structures.
Ultimately, the Spanish driver believes that the start of the championship will mainly serve as a phase of technical diagnosis. Only after several races will it be possible to evaluate the true potential of the FW48 with greater clarity.
With the Australian Grand Prix as the first reference on the calendar, Williams approaches the start of the season with a strategy focused on learning, adjusting and evolving the car before aiming for more ambitious objectives within the championship.