Inside Sainz’s Initial Day with Williams FW46

Carlos Sainz shares insights from his first day testing the Williams FW46, revealing key discoveries and his early adjustments with the car.

How Does an Experienced F1 Driver Approach His First Day with a New Team and a New Car?

This is what Williams F1 revealed in a short documentary on Carlos Sainz’s first day driving the FW46 during post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last year.

Sainz described his debut with the Williams as “crazy” after experiencing “a completely different car,” but he expressed confidence in his ability to help the team “fine-tune” the new F1 machine.

Speaking to the technical team after stepping out of the car, one member suggested, “Feels like the first day of school, doesn’t it?” to which Sainz replied, “Yes, a completely different car. It’s crazy! Even the throttle pedal. You feel the steering column more compared to the Ferrari.”

After further adjustments, Sainz was filmed discussing finer aspects of the car as he continued his discovery day.

“I’d like to go over the front and rear sliding from my lap and the wheel separation in the differential, especially when I’m back on the throttle,” Sainz remarked.

It was pointed out to Sainz that this was “an interesting comment.” He replied, “I feel there’s a slight delay in how quickly the differential should lock.”

Reminded that the car was set up based on feedback from former driver Franco Colapinto, now Alpine’s test and reserve driver, Sainz told his engineers, “Show me the data when you can, and I’ll tell you if I think it’s too much or not enough.”

“I need to see in the data what I’m feeling in the car because I think if I can see what I feel, I can help you fine-tune a lot. We’re talking about fine-tuning. The last adjustments we tested worked well for me.”

Paying tribute to Colapinto’s setup, Sainz concluded in the documentary, “With Franco’s settings, you can brake a little later. I’m happy.”