Williams driver Carlos Sainz stated that the team's FW48 remains far from its expected performance level even without its known extra weight. The team sits eighth in the 2026 constructors' standings after finishing fifth last season. Sainz spoke after placing 12th at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Sainz noted that removing the overweight would allow the car to fight for points but would still leave it about one second per lap behind the leaders. He cited qualifying and race gaps of 1.6 to 1.9 seconds at the Spanish event.
The Spaniard said the shortfall stems mainly from insufficient downforce in medium- and high-speed corners rather than weight alone. He added that the team must return to development work after underperforming relative to its wind-tunnel time and resources.
Team principal James Vowles had previously called fifth place in 2025 a new baseline for Williams. The current eighth-place standing shows the gap to frontrunners widening midway through the 2026 campaign.
