Sainz: Williams finally has intended ‘baseline’ after Miami upgrade

Carlos Sainz believes Williams has finally arrived at the competitive starting point it originally targeted for the 2026 Formula 1 season, after the team’s long-awaited Miami upgrade package delivered a significant step forward in performance.

Williams celebrated its first double-points finish of the campaign in Miami, with Sainz finishing ninth ahead of teammate Alex Albon. That result lifted the squad clear of Audi and into eighth place in the constructors’ championship.

For Sainz, however, the result represented more than just points. It marked the beginning of what he hopes will become a steady recovery after a difficult start to F1’s new regulations era.

Why it matters:

After a winter disrupted by build delays and excess weight, Williams has struggled to be competitive all season. The Miami upgrade was originally intended for Race 1, and its arrival finally gives the team a reliable baseline to build upon. If the trend continues, Williams could climb further up the midfield — but the gap to frontrunners like Alpine remains significant.

The details:

• Delayed upgrade: The package was supposed to debut at the season opener but was pushed back due to build programme delays and excess weight on the car.
• Double points: Sainz P9, Albon P10 in Miami — the team’s first double-points finish of 2026.
• Performance: Sainz said Williams was “sixth fastest” in Miami, but noted Alpine was “a good 20 seconds in front” without safety car influences.
• Weight still an issue: The upgrade shed some weight, but the car remains overweight. More weight-saving parts are planned for the next few races.
• Not where they want to be: Sainz stressed that while the upgrade worked, the team is still far from its pre-season expectations. “Even if it feels for everyone a bit of a relief,” he said, “we need to keep pushing.”

What's next:

• Gradual recovery: Sainz expects the full turnaround to take “some months,” likely reaching a proper competitive level only in the last third of the season.
• More updates: Additional weight-saving components and other improvements are scheduled for the coming races.
• Long-term target: Williams hopes to use this baseline to recover from a difficult start and eventually challenge the midfield frontrunners by the end of the year.