Carlos Sainz admits he isn’t enjoying himself at Williams after a ‘frustrating’ start to 2026

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Carlos Sainz managed to claim his first points of 2026 at the Chinese Grand Prix yesterday, but has admitted that he is struggling to enjoy himself in an F1 car that lacks so much pace.

After a fairly difficult Sprint race on Saturday afternoon in Shanghai, Williams’ Sunday got off to a terrible start as Alex Albon failed to make it onto the grid due to a hydraulic issue with his FW48.

Carlos Sainz was the Grove-based outfit’s only competitor during the longer format race, and, despite finishing a lap down to the frontrunners, claimed Williams’ first points of the year with a P9 finish.

However, Sainz was far from happy with the result, highlighting in his post-race comments that simply finishing in a single-digit points-paying position isn’t what he wants to be aiming for at Williams.

Prove us wrong – Carlos Sainz made a mistake signing for Williams over Audi

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The Spaniard’s frustrations have led many to point out that Sainz made a mistake by not joining Audi upon his exit from Ferrari in 2024.

While the German constructor isn’t doing much better than their British counterparts at this moment in time, the ceiling for Audi is arguably a lot higher than Williams due to their status as a fully-fledged works outfit.

• READ MORE: Carlos Sainz earning points for Williams cannot become a ‘smokescreen’ for glaring issues

Carlos Sainz says he’s not ‘enjoying’ himself in F1 because of Williams’ pace issues

During an interview with DAZN in the media pen following the chequered flag in Shanghai yesterday, Sainz detailed the extent of his frustrations with the pace of Williams’ 2026 F1 car.

He began by offering an optimistic perspective of what his Grove-based engineers can take away from the Chinese Grand Prix, saying, “It was a good start and good tyre management, and I got everything I had out of it today. 

“I hope it serves as motivation for the team because it’s clear that the start of the season isn’t what we expected, and as frustrating as it is, we have to try to get results where there aren’t any, and today’s P9 feels very good.”

Where do YOU think Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are going to finish in the 2026 drivers’ championship!

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The Spaniard’s mood then switched as he addressed the FW48’s obvious lack of pace in the midfield.

“I’m going so slowly that I’m not enjoying myself,” Sainz added. “I’m just doing what I can with what I have.

“I haven’t had the pace to keep up with the riders in front. Keep in mind that we’re five-tenths of a second behind the midfield, so I can’t get involved in all those battles.”

• READ MORE: Carlos Sainz tells Williams they need to ‘step up’ at the Chinese GP in unheard Melbourne team radio

Williams’ fortunes haven’t been helped by Mercedes’ lack of guidance with their new power unit

One detail that has added to Williams’ struggle for pace has been the Mercedes power unit.

Of course, the Silver Arrows are dominating out at the front of the field, and that is largely down to the performance of their 2026 engine.

However, Mercedes have been vague with their directions on how to maximise performance with their engine customers, adding to Williams’ woes.

Another issue that has plagued the British constructor’s start to 2026 is the weight of the FW48.

It’s reported to be around 28kg overweight compared to the minimum weight rule that is stipulated in the new rulebook.

With every extra 10kg understood to cost around three to four tenths of performance per lap, this issue alone is holding Sainz and Albon back by around a second every single lap.