Carlos Sainz counting on “very big learning curve” for Williams in hopes of F1 glory

Carlos Sainz recently opened up on Williams Racing's hope of future Formula 1 glory. The Spanish driver detailed that the Hungarian Grand Prix was largely a learning curve for the Grove-based team's development of its future cars.

The 30-year-old who started the Budapest race in 13th place largely struggled to match the pace of the points-scoring runners and would finish the Grand Prix in 14th. Following the conclusion of the race, Sainz, during his interaction with the media, was quizzed about the peculiarities of the FW47 challenger and why it largely struggled in circuits with characteristics like the Hungaroring.

However, responding to the question, Carlos Sainz explained how the car has struggled to adapt to circuits with long-running corners. He said (via Autosport):

"It's [Hungaroring] always been a difficult track for the team. We had quite a long debrief after qualifying because obviously, I'm coming from the team that was on pole, going back to a team that was P13 with me.

The four-time Grand Prix winner, however, detailed how races like this would help shape the design of their future cars at the Williams Racing team. He added:

"I could give them very strong feedback on why this car is lagging around a track like this. Obviously, for this year we cannot do anything, but for the future, hopefully it's a very big learning curve for the team to know how we need to develop the Formula 1 car to be successful and competitive also in tracks like Budapest or Barcelona.”

Carlos Sainz calls for a design philosophy change at Williams

Carlos Sainz also stressed the need for a design philosophy change at the Williams Racing outfit. The former Scuderia Ferrari driver, who was quizzed about solutions to the issues with the FW47 machinery, stated how the team’s long cornering problem had become a trend over recent seasons.

"We have relatively poor aero characteristics in long corners where you need to hold the downforce from entry to mid-corne...It needs a very big design philosophy change for the future. We're trying to understand where and what to change to make sure that next year's car is a bit more of an all-rounder and gives us a better platform to work in multiple tracks,” he concluded.

Like Carlos Sainz, several individuals within the Williams Racing outfit, including team principal James Vowles, have often echoed the team’s problems on circuits with multiple slow corners. The 46-year-old, who joined the Williams team from Mercedes, has often detailed how the team’s goal remains to maximise its car's potential around race tracks with characteristics more suited to its challenger.

With a sweeping change set to herald the Formula 1 scene from 2026, the Williams team will be aiming to develop a car that suits the characteristics of the several circuits available on the F1 calendar.