HOW CARLOS SAINZ "SMELLED" WILLIAMS’ 2026 F1 STRUGGLES ARRIVING MONTHS BEFORE THE START
Williams F1 is struggling in 2026. Carlos Sainz reveals he saw the "painful" slump coming early. Discover why the car is overweight.
The start of the year has been tough for Williams, as they’ve found themselves struggling near the back of the F1 pack.
Carlos Sainz has shared that he sensed these difficulties even before the new season kicked off, especially with all the changes introduced by the fresh technical rules.
This year, the cars saw significant shifts both in power units and aerodynamics, which Williams had hoped would offer a chance to move up from last year’s fifth place in the standings.
Unfortunately, they missed the initial shakedown test and have been dealing with a heavier car than expected, which has held them back in the rankings.
Sainz admits that the extent of the challenges took the team by surprise.
“For sure, it’s been a shock for me, the team, James, Alex, and all the engineers,” he told various media outlets, including RacingNews365.
“It’s no secret that it’s been tough. I actually started to sense it back in December or January.
“I was bracing myself because we began hearing about delays, missing that first test, and then the overweight figures came up. It just didn’t look promising right from the start.”
Right now, Williams sits ninth after three races, with Sainz grabbing two points at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Though they’re far from competing with the front runners, Sainz believes the team can work their way out of this slump.
“From the moment the bump hit, I knew Williams would face some rough patches,” he said.
“Success rarely follows a straight path, so hitting a bump was expected. But this one is bigger than I thought.
“It really comes down to resilience – how the team recovers from this.
“If this setback helps expose and fix the deeper issues the team had, whether in production, design, or managing overweight chassis and parts, then it might actually trigger a big leap forward.
“For me, it’s about watching how we bounce back from something more serious than anyone had anticipated.”
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
