Why Sainz and Albon remain cautious on Williams upgrades

Williams brings its long-gestating FW48 upgrade to Baku, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon set to try a revised, lighter chassis and new aero package. Both drivers are keeping expectations in check, aware the gains may not close the gap to the midfield.

Why it matters:

Williams has spent much of 2026 at the back, and Sainz calls Madrid rock bottom. This upgrade is less about immediate points and more about proving the development direction works. Even a solid step may not mean a climb, as Alpine, Racing Bulls and Audi have all improved since these parts were signed off.

The details:

• The package centres on a revised, lighter chassis and new aero. Shedding weight is a guaranteed gain, but Sainz says Williams is not bringing the 1.5 seconds it needed to catch the midfield leader in Madrid.
• "We were more than three seconds off the pace, a second and a half off the midfield," said Sainz. "We are still carrying the deficit and issues of the winter."
• Albon: "Weight is a guarantee. We've had a big weight penalty, so there's a big swing." He praised the factory for a difficult mid-season chassis change.
• Both caution that midfield rivals are upgrading fast. "Even though we have a big upgrade, it's not a magnitude that can outpace the midfield," said Albon. "In any other year it would have been massive."
• Sainz expects to struggle to get out of Q1 even with the upgrade, though Baku's layout may suit the car more than Madrid.

What's next:

A year ago Sainz qualified second and finished third in Baku. This time, success means validating the upgrade and giving Williams a clear direction for next year, even if true recovery only shows halfway through 2027.