Carlos Sainz Reflects on Williams Struggles and Ferrari Comparisons

Carlos Sainz finds himself in a reflective mood as Williams faces a tough 2026 season. The Spaniard believes he's become a better driver since his Ferrari tenure, but Williams' struggles have left him without the machinery to showcase his development.

After a promising 2025, where Williams climbed to fifth in the Constructors' standings and returned to the podium, expectations were high for this year. However, despite being the first to focus on new regulations, Williams has slipped to ninth in the standings with just 12 points, the lowest among Mercedes-powered teams.

"It's a very frustrating position to be in," Sainz lamented during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. "Two years ago, I was winning here in Mexico, and now I'm starting 17th on the grid. I'm the same driver, if not better than I was in 2024."

Sainz admits that racing at the back of the field has given him a new perspective on the challenges faced by backmarker teams. "Handling blue flags and other complexities is tougher than it looks on TV," he explained. "When I was leading races, I complained about blue flags, but now I understand the difficulty from both ends of the field."

Despite another point-less race in Brazil, Sainz's teammate Alex Albon managed to reach Q3, starting in the top 10. Sainz, who finished two laps down in 19th, found some comfort in experimenting with his car's setup. "The first stint was tricky, but by trying different tools and adjusting the front wing, I was much more competitive in the last stint," he said. "It gives me something interesting to look into, even if Friday's practice didn't reveal big changes."