Spanish Grand Prix: Why Williams were so far behind as Carlos Sainz finishes 15th in home race

While McLaren and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull are competing for race wins, a resurgent Williams has emerged as the “best of the rest” team so far this year, stretching their legs ahead of teams like RB and Aston Martin in the midfield.

But at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, everything fell apart for the Grove outfit. In qualifying, Carlos Sainz was a lowly 18th, while Alex Albon failed to make the top 10. Then in the race itself, Albon retired on lap 30, while Sainz could only manage a 15th place finish.

So what changed at Catalunya?

Team boss James Vowels had already been tempering expectations for this weekend, claiming that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya does not suit the Williams FW47. Historically, the team’s cars have always performed better at high-speed circuits where there is little to no wind.

Overall, the car has been improved this season to perform at lower speeds, hence why the team did so well at Monaco last time around. But issues with high winds persist, with the car getting out-of-shape through the corners of the Spanish circuit during qualifying.

For Albon, the Grand Prix itself descended into more of a demolition derby; a crash on lap one meant he had to pit early for a new front wing, with a second collision with Liam Lawson on lap 26 claiming another front wing endplate.

A 10-second penalty for Albon followed, which he served on lap 29 before retiring after another tour of the circuit.

Meanwhile, Sainz spent the entire race fighting among the backmarkers, going wheel-to-wheel with Estaban Ocon’s Haas and Alpine driver Franco Colapinto.

Vowels has told the media that the FW47 will not see any upgrades for the remainder of the season, with all attention at Grove being turned towards the 2026 regulations. So we could well see Williams fall down the pecking order as the year goes on.

The next Grand Prix is in Canada, at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday, June 15. The track - and conditions - will likely suit Williams far more than Barcelona has today.