F1 2026: Williams F1 testing misery leaves Carlos Sainz 'frustrated'

Williams

Carlos Sainz 'frustrated' by Williams F1 testing misery

Williams were the only team to miss the Barcelona shakedown

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 30 January 2026 10:51

Carlos Sainz's frustrating reaction to Williams' Barcelona F1 shakedown absence has been revealed by James Vowles.

The Grove-based outfit surprised the F1 world when they announced they would not be taking part in the five-day shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and instead conducted a virtual track test in the UK.

On day three of testing, Vowles spoke to the media and to fans via social media, where he confirmed Williams would be ready for testing in Bahrain on February 11.

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He also revealed the reaction of his driver Sainz, when he was informed Williams would not be able to make the Barcelona shakedown.

"From the moment I called Carlos, his first question was, 'What can I do to help? I'm here with you and I support you.' He's just as frustrated as I am," Vowles said.

"We're here to race or test at the moment, or to do a shakedown, given the current situation."

Why did Williams not attend Barcelona shakedown?

Vowles further explained why Williams forwent the Barcelona shakedown to the media, and said: "We started falling a little bit behind and late in parts, and there (are) compromises you can make as a result of it.

“We have absolutely pushed the boundaries of what we’re doing in certain areas, and one of those is in certain corresponding (crash) tests that go with it.

“But those were a blip in the grand scheme of things. They are one item out of quite a few that were pushing us absolutely beyond the limit of what we can achieve in the space of time that we have available to us.”

When addressing concerns that their Barcelona absence could have negative consequences, Vowles added: "I’m confident we won’t be behind."

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Carlos Sainz Williams pre-season testing James Vowles Barcelona