Carlos Sainz makes ‘difficult’ admission as he reveals how far Williams are still behind schedule

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Carlos Sainz believes Williams are still not where they should have started 2026 owing to the delays they encountered with the early part of their FW48 project in the winter.

Williams endured a bitter start to the 2026 F1 regulations era when the Grove natives had to skip the Barcelona shakedown test in January as their latest car was not ready in time. While the team might have potentially made the test, it would have left them short on spare parts.

A spate of problems caused Williams’ situation, with suggestions rife that the FW48 failed to pass the FIA’s crash test. The car also started the season massively overweight, with figures as high as 28kg touted after team boss James Vowles revealed it was more than 20kg over.

Since then, Williams have earned a steady stream of points to sit eighth in the constructors’ standings, with Sainz scoring six and Alex Albon amassing five to sit 14th and 15th in the F1 drivers’ championship. Although, neither Williams driver has reached Q3 after eight rounds.

Carlos Sainz admits it is ‘difficult to think about podiums’ given Williams’ 2026 recovery timeline

Sainz does not expect a vast improvement in form from Williams through the next phase of the season, either. While the Spaniard is “confident” that Williams can close the season in a strong position, he feels they have only just finished “recovering” from their winter dramas.

READ MORE: The best moments of Carlos Sainz’s career in Formula 1

The 31-year-old admits that it is “difficult” to even think about adding to his podium tally in 2026, too, given the scale of the task facing his crew. Sainz made two podiums after joining Williams in 2025, but he has yet to finish a Grand Prix higher than ninth to date this season.

“We’ve spent the first third of the season essentially recovering from what we went through this winter,” Sainz said, via quotes by SoyMotor.

“There’s a second third to go where we will have to invest time and resources to get to the final third prepared to be where Williams should be from the start. I’m confident about the final third of the season, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

“This year, I think you’ve all seen, is going to be tough. It’s true that the Williams in the last third of the season should be a much better Williams than the one I have now.

“But having said that, the gap to the top teams is so big that it is difficult to think about podiums at this point.”

Albon achieved Williams’ best result of the 2026 F1 season so far with his P8 in the Monaco Grand Prix. Sainz, meanwhile, has taken three P9 finishes for his best results with the FW48, coming in China, Miami and Canada. Albon’s only other points-paying finish is P10 in Miami.

Williams’ situation might even see Sainz and Albon leave Grove at the close of 2026, as both are now attracting interest from elsewhere in the paddock. It is said that Aston Martin have made contact with Albon after seeing Charles Leclerc sign a new long-term Ferrari contract.

Reports have also emerged that Alpine are monitoring Albon, Fernando Alonso and George Russell, in case the Enstone outfit decide to replace Franco Colapinto after this season. It is also said that Sainz’s manager has approached Red Bull to discuss a possible move for 2027.