Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Carlos Sainz has admitted Williams’ early struggles in the 2026 Formula 1 pre-season have exposed deeper structural gaps, describing the situation as a “realisation” that the team is not yet operating at the level of the front-runners.
Williams endured a disrupted preparation phase after opting to skip the Barcelona shakedown due to technical complications in the build-up to the campaign. While rivals began gathering critical data early, the Grove-based squad was forced to debut its 2026 car during the first official Bahrain test.
Despite the delayed start, Williams responded with volume, completing 414 laps across three days — the highest tally of any team. However, Sainz cautioned that mileage alone does not mask the broader competitive deficit.
“I wouldn’t say the confidence is damaged,” Sainz told media, including RacingNews365. “It’s more a realisation that there are still multiple areas where, even if we were podium finishers last year and P5 in the championship, we’re still not at the level we want to be when comparing ourselves with the top teams.”
The Spaniard pointed specifically to winter preparation processes, system efficiency, and adaptability to new regulations as areas where Williams must evolve. With F1 entering a technically complex 2026 era, operational sharpness during pre-season development is increasingly decisive.
Team principal James Vowles has consistently framed Williams’ return to the front as a long-term project rather than an immediate turnaround. Sainz echoed that perspective, acknowledging the scale of the rebuild.
“We know there’s a massive margin of improvement in many, many areas,” he said. “When I came to Williams, I knew this was going to be the case and I’m here to try to help in every area.”
The missed Barcelona running served as an early stress test of Williams’ internal systems — from reliability workflows to programme execution — highlighting gaps when compared to the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull Racing, who maximised early data acquisition.
Sainz is set to return to the cockpit for the final Bahrain test ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where the true competitive order will begin to emerge.
For Williams, the priority is not short-term optics but structural progress — a process that 2026’s regulation reset has already placed under immediate scrutiny.
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