CARLOS SAINZ DEMANDS IMMEDIATE UPGRADES AS WILLIAMS REMAINS POINTLESS AFTER CHINA
Carlos Sainz admits the current Williams package is not enough to escape Q1 following a difficult Chinese Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz isn’t buying the idea that Williams’ only problem is the FW48’s weight. He’s clear that the car needs upgrades if it’s going to get anywhere.
Really, the one thing that isn’t holding them back is the engine. The Mercedes power unit? It’s topping the charts every session.
Williams hasn’t scored a single point this season. They’re stuck at the bottom with two other teams, a long way from last year’s P5 finish in the Constructors’ standings. People were hoping for more after such a strong year, but the missing pre-season shakedown test put them straight on the back foot.
The problems kept piling up in Australia. Sainz barely got any practice on Friday, completely missed Saturday, and then limped home in 15th place on race day, three spots behind Alex Albon.
China was a bit kinder as far as laps go, but not when it came to actual speed. Both drivers got knocked out in Q1 for the sprint and the main qualifying.
“We have to keep going,” Sainz told reporters. “Otherwise, it’s going to be a really long year. I need to focus on the little wins, the little progress we can make as a team. Honestly, what we’ve got right now isn’t enough, not even for getting out of Q1.”
He thought he’d put together a great lap, maybe enough for Q2, but it just wasn’t working out. “We know what the weight does to us on the timing sheets. But it’s not just weight. We need to make big steps if we want to prove ourselves.”
Weight isn’t the only thing holding them back. Sainz, with four grand prix wins under his belt, sees it clearly: just about everything on the car needs to get better, except for the engine. “The PU is solid. We found a bit more performance compared to yesterday, and it’s looked stronger since Australia. But that’s not where we’re struggling. The Mercedes engine is at the top every session.”
He’s blunt; they need to get the car lighter, bring in upgrades, and start keeping the promises they made for this season. Sainz knows he has to be patient while Williams works to shed the weight and move forward.
WET-WEATHER MASTERCLASS: WHY LEWIS HAMILTON’S 297-LAP FIORANO TEST IS VITAL FOR MIAMI
Lewis Hamilton hopes his extensive wet-weather testing at Fiorano gives Ferrari the winning edge as thunderstorms loom over Miami.
Lewis Hamilton jokes that he’s done more wet-weather testing lately than at any point in his career. Honestly, he hopes all that rain experience pays off this Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix, especially since the forecast is threatening thunderstorms.
Over the break, Ferrari put Hamilton through two days of wet testing at Fiorano. He says the SF-26 actually feels pretty decent in the rain. That could be good news, since these new F1 cars are still a bit of a mystery to most drivers when it comes to wet conditions.
Ferrari didn’t sit still during April. They squeezed in a Monza filming day where fans spotted their rotating rear wing in action, a feature last seen in China. There’s a buzz about a sizable upgrade package for Miami, too.
Hamilton was blunt about Monza: “I didn’t learn anything there; it’s just a filming day.” But his time at Fiorano was more valuable, since he got to test Pirelli’s wet tyres and actually talk with them about improving grip. Most drivers complain about tyres and grip, looking for any edge they can get, and Hamilton’s definitely got to know the wet tyres better lately.
He’s curious if all this wet-weather testing will actually give him an advantage in Miami, but in his words, "I don’t know. I’ve probably done more wet testing than ever. Barcelona was a whole day in the rain, honestly – not fun – and then those two days at Fiorano two weeks ago.” Still, he points out, F1 used to have some amazing rain races, and the SF-26 feels alright when it’s wet.
Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, has his own take on these cars in the rain. He says you can actually go “much faster” at the end of straights when it's wet, mostly because you don’t need as much battery recharging. It’s a weird quirk; sometimes you’re barrelling down in the wet faster than you would in dry conditions. The corners feel good; the car’s light and responsive. But on the straights, closing speeds can get hairy, especially if drivers use different power unit strategies and visibility drops to nearly nothing.
Leclerc explains that in the rain, “We’re really just passengers. It’s not about bravery; you stay flat out and hope no one in front is slower than you. That used to be an easy assumption in previous years. Not anymore. We'll go all out and see what happens, but honestly, it’s not a great feeling. We still need to find a fix for that.”
GUENTHER STEINER PREDICTS MERCEDES 1-2 OVER MAX VERSTAPPEN AT MIAMI GP
F1 2026: Guenther Steiner explains why Max Verstappen could surprise the field in Miami following a four-week update break.
Max Verstappen will end up on the Miami Grand Prix podium with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but he won't beat the Mercedes duo, at least not if you ask former Haas boss Guenther Steiner.
Steiner isn’t shy about his prediction: he expects a Mercedes 1-2 in Miami, with Verstappen trailing them. It’s a bold call, especially since most people see the championship shifting soon. So far, though, Mercedes completely owns the 2026 season. They've grabbed every pole, every win, and just scored back-to-back 1-2 finishes in Australia and China. They already lead Ferrari by 45 points in the Constructors’ standings, and Antonelli has a nine-point edge over Russell in the Drivers’ fight.
But Miami could flip the script.
F1’s made some changes for this race: tweaked engine regulations, less recharge allowed in qualifying, and a cap on maximum boost during races. Sure, these rules hit everyone, but people say Mercedes might feel it the most, since they've been masters at squeezing every bit from their power units.
That’s not all: every team is rolling into Miami with big car updates after a four-week break. Plenty of time at the factory to find an edge.
Even with all that, Steiner’s sticking to his guns. He thinks Mercedes will still be on top, but also expects Verstappen and Red Bull to step it up enough for Max to join the podium party.
“Mercedes will win,” Steiner told a betting site. “They look strong, and it’ll be a good fight between Kimi and George. But Max could surprise us. Miami’s a different track, and with the new engine rules, there’ll be less charging and recharging – something that could help Max get on the podium.”
Steiner also weighed in on the championship race. Antonelli leads for now, but Steiner tips Russell to turn the tables before the season ends. Russell’s got eight years of F1 experience, and Steiner sounds convinced that this is finally his moment.
“For me, it’s George,” Steiner said. “Mercedes looks really strong this year, and George has the experience. He’s put everything into getting this chance, and now he has it. I don’t think he’ll let it slip away.”
