Carlos Sainz is eager to have a say in Williams’s 2026 F1 challenger, emphasizing the importance of the power unit while remaining cautious about raising expectations amid the uncertainties introduced by the new 2026 regulations.
Formula 1 is moving towards completely new regulations for the 2026 F1 season, which will introduce new power units and chassis, thus providing a reset for the entire grid.
Sainz, who joined Williams at the start of the 2025 season to bring the Grove-based team back to the top, is eager to finally have a say in “design” and “set-up philosophy” of the 2026 car. In addition to influencing car development, the Williams driver believes the power unit will be a key factor in the 2026 F1 season.
The power unit, combined with the experience of two skilled drivers, himself and teammate Alex Albon, could greatly benefit Williams as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 F1 season.
Sainz is eager to “influence” Williams’ 2026 challenger
“First of all, I cannot wait to also have an influence on the design of the car.
“The set-up philosophy, and the direction that the car can take into next year, and to make the drivers feel a bit more comfortable or a bit more at ease from the get-go.
“From the baseline of the car that we put on track, I think we can do steps forward already on that side, but I think once the season starts, I think the driver is going to have more of an influence on software development with HPP [High Performance Powertrains], in this case, Mercedes.
“I think the power unit is going to be a huge thing, and I think having two experienced drivers like Alex [Albon], and I think, in that sense, could help.
“Then when it comes to set-up development, it’s more keep doing what we’ve done this year, and just have the effect of before the year, before we put the car on track, and then having the effect of during the year, how to make the car quicker.”
Sainz is managing expectations amid the F1 2026 regulation change
The Grove-based team completed one of the most successful campaigns in recent years by finishing the 2025 F1 season fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Despite Williams’s solid run in 2025, Sainz has not adjusted his expectations for the upcoming season, saying the new regulations pose a question mark for the pecking order. The 31-year-old reasons that while there is a chance for the team to deliver a strong contender, there is also a chance to get it wrong or for another team to find an advantageous “loophole”.
Had the regulations remained unchanged, the Spaniard would have had different expectations. Williams had identified the weaknesses of their 2025 F1 car and had performed competitively at certain venues..
However, since the regulation will change for the upcoming 2026 F1 season, Sainz feels it’s best to stay focused and manage expectations.
“I think next year is such a big change of regulations that I don’t plan to change my expectations too much, because it’s not like the new regulations give me any stronger feeling that we can do a step forward,” Sainz explained.
The 2026 F1 regulations are a reset for all teams
“I think if the regulations would have been stable, given that we’ve done a few races this year where we’ve been two to four tenths off pole position and race pace, I would say this team, with another stable set of regulations, and having so clear now what the car’s weaknesses are and where we need to improve, and seeing the team capacity to improve them, I would feel more confident. Let’s say that we can keep doing these incremental steps in the next two or three years to get to the top.
“But the new set of regulations is such a reset for everyone, for all the engineers, for myself, that I don’t feel any more confident about it, because we could do it really well and put together a very good car for next year.
“But at the same time, very quickly, you can get it wrong, and you need to reset and find the right way that maybe another team has found a loophole or a direction that you never thought would be possible. So that’s why, for next year, I think we need to stay super focused and calm about our expectations.”
