Carlos Sainz reveals harsh reality for Williams ahead of 2026 season

The Spanish driver, in his outlook ahead of the upcoming campaign, admitted the margin to the front of the grid for the Williams outfit and other midfield teams isn’t likely to be bridged any time soon.

Sainz added that the impression gained from pre-season testing points to the fact that the front-running teams are quicker than they portrayed during testing.

“I think, to be very frank, that step forward isn't likely to happen anytime soon. The initial impression from testing is that the top four teams from last year are even better than they were last year, while the midfield is even more midfield than it was last year,” Sainz said via Soy Motor.

Sainz highlighted the impact of recent regulation changes, admitting that Williams had hoped the new rules might help close the gap to the leaders. Instead, he said, the changes appear to have accentuated the areas where the team is still lacking.

“Unfortunately, I think the rule change has widened the gap between teams, as often happens. We thought we could close that gap with a rule change, but the reality is that perhaps the rule change has exposed exactly the areas where we're still not at the level we need to be, and at least the beginning of the season will be tough,” he continued.

However, despite the sobering outlook, the former Scuderia Ferrari driver concluded with optimism, detailing how it’s how the team finishes and progresses that matters compared to how it kicks off its campaign.

The Williams F1 team kicked off the 2026 shakedown in the crosshairs of many, after failing to participate in the maiden shakedown of the season in Barcelona. The Grove-based outfit, however, was able to make it in time to Bahrain for the two separate testing sessions ahead of the new season.

Earlier, Sainz urged the FIA to stay open-minded and flexible regarding the idea of adjusting F1 2026's energy management rules if they become too exaggerated during races.

The Williams driver specifically flagged the Australian Grand Prix as a likely test of teams’ ability to balance electrical and internal combustion energy.