F1 2026: Carlos Sainz tells Lewis Hamilton he's wrong over 2026 car criticism

carlos sainz, lewis hamilton, williams, ferrari — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Lewis Hamilton is wrong! Carlos Sainz hits back in 2026 F1 car row

Lewis Hamilton said that a degree was needed to figure out the 2026 cars

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 26 February 2026 14:57

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's criticism of the new 2026 cars have been dismissed by the man who he replaced at Ferrari - Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton is preparing for his second season at Ferrari in 2026, desperately hoping that it is better than his first, and while the Brit said that he was enjoying racing around in his new SF-26, he also complained that a 'degree' was needed to properly understand the new cars and regulations.

Some drivers have been rather critical of the new cars, with Max Verstappen stating it was like 'Formula E on steroids', but Sainz appears to have a different view.

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Sainz was replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, leaving the Spaniard looking for another team. He eventually landed at Williams but, after a solid first season, he has recently admitted his 'anger' at the fact the team appear to have taken a step backwards in the early stages of 2026.

Now, the 31-year-old has clapped back at Hamilton's 'degree' comments, while urging F1 fans in Europe to get themselves out of bed early to watch the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"People should get up and watch the Australian Grand Prix because anything can happen," Sainz told Marca, before lightheartedly responding to Hamilton's comments: "Well, I only have a high school diploma and I understand everything about F1."

Williams' 2026 target

Last year, Williams finished fifth in the constructors' championship, and claimed more than one grand prix podium in a season for the first time since 2017, with Sainz grabbing two grand prix podiums and a sprint race podium.

Sainz and Alex Albon make up one of the most talented driver lineups on the entire grid, and it was thought that the 2026 regulation changes may just allow them to challenge closer to the top four teams in the sport.

However, team principal James Vowles has already stated that it will be difficult to have a repeat of the fifth-place constructors' championship finish from 2025, while Sainz seems to have resigned himself to the fact that he will not be challenging for regular podiums and race victories in 2026.

Williams could, however, be helped by the fact that they've got a Mercedes power unit in the back of their cars, with Mercedes understood to be the team best placed to master the new power unit regulations.