CARLOS SAINZ EXPOSES KEY QUALIFYING PROBLEM BEHIND WILLIAMS’ RACE WOES
Carlos Sainz’s heroic fightback to score a point in Singapore highlights Williams’ strong race pace. The Spaniard reveals a deeper car issue, not just tyre warm-up, is the root cause of the team’s recurring qualifying struggles.
After only scoring one point in Singapore, Carlos Sainz's valiant comeback from the end of the grid revealed a deeper tale of speed, tenacity, and a recurring qualifying error that keeps Williams from reaching his full ability on race day.
Late on Saturday, Williams' Singapore weekend took a serious hit. Sainz and teammate Alex Albon were both demoted after their FW47s were discovered to have violated regulations with a non-compliant rear wing, after qualifying 13th and 12th, respectively.
With Albon starting from the pit lane and Sainz dropping to 18th on the grid, what had appeared to be a strong foundation for a points finish abruptly turned into an uphill battle.
Lewis Hamilton laments the passing of his cherished dog Roscoe.
From Penalty Suffering to Salvage Points
But the Spaniard made a subtly stunning comeback on Sunday night beneath the floodlights. He pushed his way through the pack during a massive 50-lap run on medium tyres, fending off Oliver Bearman's late pressure on fresher rubber and finishing in 10th place after a strategic switch to softs. Few had anticipated this hard-won point.
After the race, Sainz said, "I was hoping for points from 13th, but definitely less from 18th."
"To be transparent, each simulation we ran indicated that we needed safety cars at the appropriate times to score points, but today's pace was so excellent that we were able to salvage a point from a challenging Singapore.
"I think we were one of the only midfield cars to be able to make it through the field because we had such a great pace and a fantastic overtake at the finish, but it was a one-stop that actually did not materialise."
It served as a subtle but important reminder that Sainz's calm execution and Williams's race-day form remain good, even though Williams might not have performed well in qualifying.
Qualifying Issues: Tyres or Car?
Even with his impressive recovery effort, Sainz was frank about the cause of Williams' qualifying issues. Although tyre warm-up problems are frequently cited, the Spaniard thinks the issue is more deeply rooted in the car's architecture.
"I believe that a P7 or P8 would have been the perfect weekend. In actuality, we had a lot of pace during the race," he clarified.
Once more, it is possible that we could have been confused with [Andrea Kimi] Antonelli in Baku if we had begun close to him.
However, the truth is that we are attempting to strengthen our qualifying area of weakness. We continue to criticise the preparation of the tyres.
After a few races, and as I learn more about the car, I feel that it is a weakness of the vehicle rather than a weakness of turning the tyre on and off.
And most likely, that quality flaw is what gives us the advantage in the race and allows us to complete 50 laps on a medium.
You can not have it all, therefore. To put ourselves in a better position for Sundays, we simply need to reverse-engineer the car a little.
His analysis highlights a difficult trade-off: the FW47's single-lap potential may be hampered by the same traits that make it such a competitive race vehicle.
A Group That Is Still Changing
Williams had several setbacks in Singapore besides the rear-wing error. The team's difficulties were exacerbated by Sainz's individual qualifying lap mistakes and Albon's FP1 brake problem.
The latter, however, stayed tactful and prioritised development above resentment.
"Is there any animosity between any of us?" he continued. "I believe the team recognises that we continue to make mistakes in these types of situations that might occur.
We are working to improve as a team this year, and yesterday was undoubtedly a mistake for all of us. We lost a Q3 because of my blunders in my qualifying lap. Regarding the legality of the rear wing on both vehicles, the crew made a mistake. An error with the brakes in FP1 involving Alex [Albon].
As long as we do not make the same mistakes twice and keep learning, you know that we are all still making mistakes. I believe that is the key for us.
Sainz's tenacity and frank observations give promise as Williams develops more. The FW47's race-day skills might give the Grove team a consistent challenger for points if they can solve their qualifying puzzle.
For the time being, Sainz's Singapore point serves as a reminder that this team is capable of fighting even from the back.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.