Carlos Sainz 'Worried' by Williams' 'Serious Issues' After Silverstone Struggles

Carlos Sainz has warned that Williams is battling "serious issues" after another difficult British Grand Prix exposed a troubling development trend. Despite shedding significant weight from the FW48 this season, the gap to the midfield has widened, leaving the Spaniard frustrated by the car's fundamentals.

Why it matters:

Williams has just 11 points this season and has not scored since Monaco, while rival Audi is closing in after Gabriel Bortoleto's eighth place at Silverstone. Sainz's admission that the car is now slower than it was in Japan with an overweight chassis raises serious questions about the team's upgrade program and understanding of the current regulations.

The details:

• Upgrade Woes: A new front-wing arrived at Silverstone but failed to move the needle. Sainz noted that in Suzuka, Williams was 1.6 seconds off the pace with an overweight car, yet at Silverstone with a lighter package, the deficit grew to two seconds.
• Race Reality: Sainz made a strong start to sit inside the points but quickly fell back, unable to hold off Alpine and Audi cars he described as "simply too quick." He later received a one-lap penalty after a safety-car mix-up, while Alex Albon retired.
• Rival Pressure: Audi now sits just five points behind Williams after Bortoleto's result, with the Brazilian recently claiming the Audi chassis could be "top-three" on the grid if not for its power-unit deficit.

What's next:

Williams is pinning hopes on a major upgrade package for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, but Sainz insists the team must first find the root cause of its stagnation. A factory deep-dive is essential to understand why the FW48 is losing ground before the summer break, with the Spaniard urging a "serious" response to halt the decline.