Carlos Sainz steered Williams to its best qualifying result of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, reaching Q3. The new lighter chassis addressed the car's notorious overweight issue, but Sainz himself called the performance "a bit of an overachievement," signalling that the true pace remains unproven.
Williams' 2026 challenger had been overweight since F1's technical overhaul, hampering its aerodynamic potential. The introduction of a brand-new chassis in Baku brought a substantial step, though not a cure-all. Sainz was consistently quick: 11th in Q1, then ninth in Q2 and Q3. Previously, the team's best had been Sainz's 10th in Montreal sprint qualifying and Alex Albon's 11th in Monaco.
"I knew this track would suit us. I knew that with an upgrade maybe we could fight for better positions. But the reality, and if I'm very honest with you, I think Q3 is a bit of an overachievement," Sainz said. "Today as a team we nailed the tyre strategy, we nailed the run plan; I nailed the laps, honestly. I've done some serious laps today, on the limit. I'm happy to show them because this year I've done some good laps and they've gone unnoticed for P17 or P16."
Sainz's caution is telling: the Baku performance may not translate to other circuits. The street track's stop-and-go nature and slow corners flatter a car that still lacks balance. Both drivers expect next week's Sepang round to provide a verdict in high-speed corners, which are non-existent in Baku.
"The car feels relatively similar, but instead of the team telling you you're P18, P19, you're a few more spots ahead," Albon said after qualifying 13th, blaming "just slow on the straights", an issue he couldn't explain. "What will be interesting to us is, in my opinion, this track is the best track for our car of the season. I want to see in Malaysia and Singapore – longer corners, corners that we don't normally like – how it goes."
Sainz added that the car's feel hasn't changed, it's just quicker. "We have underlying balance [issues] that we need to work on for next year's car, that will not go away until we redesign the car. So we're just working with a car that, both Alex and I, we are not loving so far. But it is quicker because it's lighter, it also has a bit more load and it is allowing us to maybe show a bit more. So let's see; we need Malaysia for you guys to see where realistically we are. I think in Malaysia we'll take a step back."
Amid a tough campaign – Williams hasn't scored points since Monaco – Albon praised the team's effort: "That's normally a big project, a six-month project for most teams," he said of the new chassis. He also welcomed the fact that this opens the door to more aero-focused work on the upcoming 2027 car. With limited resources, shifting focus to the next regulations could be a strategic move, though it risks sacrificing the remainder of 2026.
Clearly, the Williams upgrade has lifted morale and given Sainz a chance to showcase his speed. But without results at more demanding tracks like Sepang and Singapore, the Q3 in Baku could remain a pleasant anomaly. The jury is still out.
Baca Juga
Alpine mengungkap peran tersembunyi Daniil Kvyat sebagai driver simulator yang membantu kebangkitan tim di F1 2026, termasuk turnaround di Jepang dan Kanada.
Williams akhirnya tampil kompetitif di F1 2026 berkat sasis ringan di Baku. Sainz sebut Q3 overachievement, Albon minta bukti di Malaysia.
Lewis Hamilton mengkritik ban dan eksekusi tim setelah finis P6 di kualifikasi F1 Azerbaijan GP. Juara dunia tujuh kali itu menyebut ban sebagai 'pain in the arse'.
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