Carlos Sainz issues Williams plea after early struggles

Carlos Sainz has called on Williams to use the April break period wisely and return to the track in a more competitive position in Miami.

The Grove-based squad has endured a highly challenging start to the new season and is languishing towards the back of the field.

It marks a considerable step in the wrong direction for Williams, who consistently scored points in 2025 en route to fifth place in the constructors' championship.

The sport is currently in the midst of a five-week break, giving teams ample time to research and produce upgrades for the next round in Miami.

Assessing Williams' plan for the time off, Sainz insisted its task is made harder by the need to out-develop its rivals in order to make steps forward.

“I expect that team, will do a big, big push over the month to come up with something for Miami that is a good step forward,” Sainz told media including RacingNews365. 

“At the same time in the sport, everything is relative. So you can bring a big step forward, if the others bring a big step, then you haven't moved forward. 

“You're still three-tenths behind the midfield. So it's more about how much of a bigger step forward you bring to the rest of the teams.”

One of Williams' biggest limitations this year has been its overweight car - but as it looks to make steps forward, Sainz stated that area alone will not be enough to progress.

“I hope that in that case, we know we have a lot of weight to take out of the car,” he said.

“We have a lot of downforce to add. It will be how much we are able to do for Miami.”