Carlos Sainz: Alpine Still Ahead of Williams

Carlos Sainz said Alpine remains “clearly” ahead of Williams after the Miami Grand Prix. Williams fitted a delayed upgrade to the FW48 and finished ninth and tenth, a sign of progress but with a material performance gap to close^[1].

What happened

Williams introduced an upgrade package in Miami that the team had planned to run at the season opener in Australia, according to Sainz^[1]. The upgrade helped Williams to ninth and tenth places, with Sainz nearly 20 seconds adrift of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who finished sixth^[1].

Why it matters

Sainz said the step forward shows Williams is closer to the midfield but remains short of the leaders, leaving the team with issues to solve such as car weight and overall pace^[1]. That gap matters because the upper midfield fight affects points and development resources across the season^[1].

Background

The report said Williams entered 2026 buoyed by a strong 2025 campaign, and that the upgrade fitted in Miami had been delayed from race one in Australia two months earlier^[1]. Williams scored two points in the first three races this season before the Miami result, according to the same account^[1].

Reactions

Sainz described Williams’ progress as encouraging but incomplete. He said, “We finally put the upgrade on the car that was supposed to come to race one, which was delayed” and warned patience will be needed before a full turnaround is visible^[1].

What's next

Sainz predicted visible gains only later in the season as Williams addresses weight and other deficits, and as development continues through upcoming races, the report said^[1]. Teams in the midfield will watch whether the FW48 converts the upgrade into consistent points finishes^[1].