James Vowles reveals what stands out about working with Carlos Sainz as Williams struggles

Carlos Sainz was praised by James Vowles as Williams continues to battle early-season difficulties in 2026. 

Williams entered the new campaign with optimism following their progress last year, which included a pair of podium finishes. But so far, things haven’t gone according to plan.

The main issue facing the team is the FW48’s weight, which has left them playing catch-up to their rivals early in the season.

After four races, Williams are eighth in the constructors’ standings with just five points, already trailing seventh-placed Visa Cash App Racing Bulls by nine points.

They’ll be looking for a stronger showing this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix as they try to turn things around.

Sainz finished 15th, and his teammate Alex Albon was involved in an unusual incident, crashing after hitting an animal on track.

James Vowles opens up on Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon’s influence

After the session, Vowles was asked how he manages to keep his drivers focused during a tough spell for the team.

Vowles responded by praising both Albon and Sainz, highlighting what makes working with them so valuable.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vowles said: “So, the brilliant thing with this level of driver is that motivation is not something I have to help with. They wake up in the morning, want to come here and deliver everything you can. You have to reset. Where are we? Where are we going?

“The biggest thing that I’ve been doing with Alex and Carlos is making sure they’re aware of exactly everything that we are changing within the team, adapting within the team, bringing performance-wise here, and what the next six months look like and how they can help.”

James Vowles says Williams have been ‘aggressive’ to make FW48 lighter

Williams boss James Vowles says the team has taken an “aggressive” approach to shedding weight from its 2026 car, following a difficult winter.

“We were pretty aggressive on the amount of weight that we’re throwing away from the car, and the team has done a really excellent job.

“It was a poor winter, there’s no doubt about it. What I determine and adjudicate us by is how we pull together and recover from that.

“Here again this weekend, we’ve taken quite a bit of weight off the car so a big transformative item, but not just that.

“We’ve brought performance in suspension, for example, upgrades, and also performance in exhaust blowing. It’s definitely a part of our programme, but it won’t disappear until after the August break.”