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Williams F1 driver Carlos Sainz believed that the Grove-based outfit would need to focus on building an excellent chassis to stand out against other Mercedes engine-powered teams. The iconic British team have emerged as the surprising package of that 2025 season as they have found their place in the top five of the Constructors Championship since the start of the year and have been best of the rest on multiple occasions.
The ex-world champions have announced ahead of the year that they would be largely focused on developing the 2026 car in their attempt to nail the new engine regulations.
With the German team being touted as the early leaders in next year's engines, Carlos Sainz said in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE that Williams would have a build a standout chassis to compete against other teams with Mercedes power units, saying:
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"Of course, we can’t forget that Mercedes will have the Mercedes engine, McLaren will have it, Alpine will have it, and so will Williams. That’s already four teams, eight cars, with the same engine, and two of those teams, especially McLaren, are superior right now.
“So, no matter how good the engine is, you still need to get everything right with the chassis. And of course, Aston Martin with Honda will be competitive, and Ferrari will always be there. Ferrari are always in the fight.”
Carlos Sainz joined the British team ahead of the 2025 season after being courted by team principal James Vowles for the majority of last year.
Carlos Sainz reveals one of the main reasons behind choosing Williams
Williams F1 driver Carlos Sainz stated that one of the main reasons behind his choosing his current team was their association with Mercedes and the latter possibily having a headstart for the 2026 regulations.
As quoted by the aforementioned source, the four-time F1 race winner reflected on his move and said:
“Yes, I have a lot of confidence in the Mercedes engine. It’s actually one of the main reasons I chose Williams for this new regulation change. I knew we’d be running the Mercedes power unit, and everything I’ve heard about it has been positive, and still is.”
Vowles also expressed his confidence in the German team's ability to build a competitive power unit and told Sky Sports:
“What I’m relying on is I’ve had the pleasure of working for Mercedes and with Mercedes for over 20 years now, certainly from the engine production side for 15 of that,”
Despite struggling for the majority of the 2025 season, Carlos Sainz has scored Williams's only podium since 2017 in Baku last month and even finished in the points in Baku after starting from the back of the grid.
