The road back to competitiveness is never easy, especially when you start a step behind. For Williams Racing, their FW48 machine is showing signs of recovery, but driver Carlos Sainz isn't sugar-coating the mountain they still need to climb. The Grove-based squad is battling to optimize their new F1 challenger.
- Williams missed the crucial Barcelona shakedown due to initial development delays.
- Carlos Sainz confirms the team has successfully recovered lost mileage in Bahrain.
- Despite improved reliability, the FW48 still possesses "quite a few" fundamental limitations.
- The focus has shifted from high mileage to finding raw performance and optimal setup adjustments.
Recouping Lost Ground: The Bahrain Battle
The early days of the 2025 F1 pre-season testing presented a significant hurdle for Williams. Missing the vital Barcelona shakedown in January put them on the back foot, costing precious track time for the new FW48. However, after intensive running in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz believes the team has largely caught up on sheer mileage.
"As far as testing goes, I think what we needed over the last few days, which was to recover the time lost in Barcelona by adding a lot of mileage to the car, I think we've managed to do that well," Sainz explained from the Bahrain paddock. "The car is running reliably from the beginning." This foundational reliability is a crucial first step for any F1 campaign.
From Reliability Runs to Performance Pushes
With the initial mileage targets met, the focus for Williams has dramatically shifted. The team is no longer just logging laps; they are now aggressively pursuing performance. The Spanish driver candidly admitted that while progress has been made, the FW48 still presents significant challenges. "That's allowing us to find out the limitations and the areas where we have to improve, which, unfortunately, there are quite a few," Sainz stated.
The initial week in Bahrain was dedicated to pure endurance. Now, the engineers and drivers are trying to unlock the car's speed. "The main thing last week was mileage, and then this week we are finally starting to try and find a bit of lap time and performance out of it and try to put it in a better set-up window," he added, highlighting the transition in their testing strategy.
Unlocking the FW48's Potential: A Set-Up Conundrum
The phrase "better set-up window" from Sainz speaks volumes about the challenges Williams faces. Missing the Barcelona test meant they lost the initial opportunity to understand the FW48's basic characteristics. This crucial data deficit created a domino effect, leaving them a step behind competitors in optimizing the car’s intricate settings.
The weather hasn't made things easier. "Last week the conditions were really tricky for everyone. I think it was really, really windy every day," Sainz commented. The unpredictable wind gusts disguised some of the car's inherent behaviors.
Adapting to the New F1 Era
Fortunately, conditions have stabilized in the second week of testing. "This week suddenly the wind has calmed down and I think it's much more normal conditions," confirmed Sainz. This change has allowed for more consistent and predictable data gathering.
The team has been diligently implementing significant set-up adjustments, specifically tailored to the current regulations. These changes appear to be guiding the FW48 in the correct direction. "The cars, I think, for everyone are a lot more predictable, a lot better to drive. But we've also done some set-up adjustments to adapt the car set-up a bit more to these regulations and it seems like it's going in the right direction." The fight for every tenth continues for Williams as they push to climb the grid.
