Frustration for Carlos Sainz given Williams form in 2026 Formula 1 season

Sainz, a proven race winner, joined Williams in 2025 from Ferrari based on strong promises from Team Principal James Vowles, as the team finished fifth overall in the F1 Constructors' Standings, with Sainz playing a major role in that achievement with his two podiums in Azerbaijan and Qatar.

And while Williams were expected to make use of their momentum and take another step forward in 2026, especially with totally new regulations coming in.

What actually happened was the exact opposite, as Williams missed the private pre-season Barcelona shakedown and finally arrived for Bahrain's pre-season tests unprepared with an overweight car.

As such, the Grove-based outfit face a frustrating season ahead given how far back they are with Alex Albon using the Japanese Grand Prix as a testing session.

Reflecting on Sainz's situation while speaking to Grand Prix luxury hospitality specialists, Vision4Sport, Herbert said: "From a driver's perspective, you look at where Williams have been in the last couple of years, and there's been a real upward progression.

"And we've had the rule change. Then there was the delay at the beginning of the season.

"When you have a car that is overweight, a driver might ask, 'Well, how have you got that so wrong?'

"It's very overweight, heftily so," the Briton pointed out. "That is something that is very fundamental to the performance of the car, but it's also a fundamental of the mindset of the people that haven't quite been able to create a car close enough to that weight limit.

"Williams were going so well, and now it's taken a horrible nose-dive in a very short space of time," he went on. "So, from a driver's perspective and the perspective of Carlos, there is going to be that frustration because you were probably promised a lot and yet he's thinking you haven't actually done what you promised me.

"I know Carlos Sr. was always very hard and tough on the team," Herbert revealed. "Carlos Sr. is very aware of the negatives he's seen in his rallying world, and now he's seeing it again with his own son. And it's frustrating for all of us because we always want Williams to do a very good job.

"Carlos is at a certain point in his career where he doesn't quite see there is a positive direction. If you give Carlos a car, he will do the deed," Herbert, a three-time F1 winner, concluded.