Carlos Sainz faces early season struggles, but Williams believe performance gains are coming through better integration and technical refinements.
Williams F1’s Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, has stepped in to calm any concerns Carlos Sainz may have after a rocky start with the team. Ahead of the third Grand Prix of the season in Japan, the Spaniard admitted he was puzzled by his lack of pace compared to teammate Alex Albon.
Sainz had looked promising in the FW46 during post-season testing last year and showed decent form in the new FW47 during winter testing in Bahrain. But once the racing began in Melbourne and Shanghai, it was Albon who clearly had the upper hand.
Sainz Settling Into Williams Rhythm
According to Robson, Sainz isn’t far off the pace—it’s just a matter of adapting more fully to the car and the team’s systems, particularly in qualifying sessions.
“Melbourne was interesting—it was his first race with us,” Robson explained. “Shanghai was a bit frustrating for him. But in terms of car setup, understanding our systems, the buttons, and procedures, he’s picked everything up really quickly. Even with just a day and a half of testing in Bahrain, that part wasn’t an issue.”
Where things get tricky, Robson says, is in simulating the unique pressure and pace of qualifying.
“You just can’t replicate the intensity and rhythm of a real qualifying session. We noticed in Bahrain that we could improve how we brief our drivers between laps—there’s very little time, and it’s probably not quite what Carlos is used to. That’s something we need to refine.”
Some of the confusion may also stem from new control inputs and procedures, which differ slightly from what Sainz experienced in previous teams. And this season, for the first time in his career, he’s driving with a Mercedes power unit after stints with Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and Toro Rosso.
Still, Robson doesn’t see this as a major hurdle.
“It’s more about small things—our steering wheel setup, out-lap management, thermal constraints, and how we communicate in those moments. It’s about the race engineer knowing when to push, especially when 19 other cars are all fighting for track space in qualifying.”
Robson made it clear: Sainz doesn’t need to worry about his raw speed or driving ability.
“He’s not behind in terms of driving or setup. We just need to refine how we work together and give him the tools he needs to maximize each lap. Once that clicks, he’ll be right up there.”
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Sainz Finds His Feet as Williams Work on Fine Details
Sainz Finds His Feet as Williams Work on Fine Details
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