Carlos Sainz sets honest Williams timeline for ‘proper turnaround’

Carlos Sainz believes that a "proper turnaround" for Williams will only come in "the last third of the season," despite a morale-boosting double points finish at the Miami Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

After entering 2026 with high expectations—armed with a Mercedes power unit and momentum from 2025—Williams has struggled with an overweight FW48, scoring just two points in the opening three rounds. Miami offered a crucial reset, but the team is still playing catch-up in a tight midfield battle.

The details:

• Sainz finished ninth and Alex Albon 10th in Miami, adding three points to Williams' tally.
• The team brought a significant upgrade package to Miami, including a new floor, bodywork, front wing elements, modified rear suspension, and exhaust blowing.
• Around 30 performance projects were worked on over the five-week break between races, targeting weight reduction, aerodynamic development, and operational improvements.
• Sainz: "It's going to take some months to finish the turnaround. We're going to need to get to the last third of the season to see a proper turnaround. But at least the upgrades work."
• Vowles noted Miami was a strong track for Williams last year (Albon P5, Sainz P9), but downplayed track-specific factors, attributing most gains to genuine progress.

What's next:

Williams has more performance updates planned for Montreal and beyond, but Vowles acknowledges the uncertainty of rivals' development.

• Vowles: "I'm happy with what we've got in our pipeline, but I don't know what others have. Mercedes, Audi, maybe Haas, will bring performance as well."
• The target is to become a consistent points-scorer by the August break, but Vowles admits Alpine currently holds the fifth-fastest team status, with Williams "a few tenths" behind.
• Weight reduction remains a key focus, with further gains expected through the season.