Sainz already puts Aston Martin “in another league” against poor Williams F1 performance

Key takeaways

• Aston Martin pull ahead: Carlos Sainz placed Aston Martin “in another league” compared to Williams following Fernando Alonso’s points finish at Zandvoort.
• Fighting at the back: Sainz admitted Williams is currently only faster than Cadillac, leaving the team stuck near the tail end of the grid.
• Tough Dutch GP: Williams suffered a double setback in Zandvoort, with Alexander Albon retiring and Sainz finishing last after a lock-up at Turn 1.

Carlos Sainz expressed growing frustration over Williams’ current competitive position in Formula 1 following a difficult Dutch Grand Prix. Evaluating the grid’s hierarchy after the race, the Spanish driver admitted that Aston Martin has moved into a superior competitive tier, leaving Williams relegated to battling at the back of the field.

After starting the 2026 season hampered by chassis weight issues and power unit reliability concerns, Aston Martin introduced a series of aerodynamic updates starting at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The progress materialized in Zandvoort, where Fernando Alonso secured a ninth-place finish. In contrast, Williams endured a challenging Sunday: Alexander Albon retired early, while Sainz finished last after a front-wheel lock-up at Turn 1.itmo de corrida, eles estão em outra liga agora”, explicou Sainz.

“We are pretty much where we expected to be, which is at the back of the pack. At the moment, we are only faster than Cadillac. You saw Aston Martin’s race pace; they are in another league now,” Sainz explained after the race.

“We couldn’t fight against them. We couldn’t fight against anyone, really. At the end of the race, Alex and I were just having fun out there, and unfortunately I made that mistake—I got caught out by a front lock-up at Turn 1 from the bottoming. But honestly, it’s not like we were fighting for much anyway,” Sainz added.

Sainz’s comments come amid a wave of driver and technical updates ahead of Monza, as Alpine confirmed Franco Colapinto’s contract extension for 2027, Lando Norris reaffirmed his commitment to McLaren while pondering his long-term F1 future, and Williams announced reserve driver Luke Browning will drive Albon’s car in FP1 at the Italian GP.

Formula 1 returns from September 4–6 at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, the 13th round of the 2026 season. GRANDE PRÊMIO provides complete live coverage of all track action. Follow all updates on our news page.

World Championship Standings (Top 5 after Dutch GP)

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Why did Carlos Sainz state Aston Martin is “in another league”?

Sainz pointed to Aston Martin’s recent race pace improvements and points finish at Zandvoort, noting Williams currently lacks the speed to match them.

2. Where does Carlos Sainz view Williams in the current F1 grid hierarchy?

Sainz noted that Williams is currently positioned near the back of the grid, stating they are only consistently faster than Cadillac.

3. When is the next race on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar?

Formula 1 resumes from September 4–6, 2026, for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.