(Motorsport-Total.com) – The 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix was once again a race to forget for Williams. Although both drivers performed solidly for long stretches, the team once again remained without points. Alexander Albon, in particular, experienced a difficult afternoon, which had to be converted into a kind of improvised test session early on.
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While Carlos Sainz struggled with the existing package and described his own performance as “solid, but not rewarding,” Albon additionally had to contend with a technical problem that affected the complete race behavior of his car.
In the end, Williams was once again faced with the sobering realization: even a flawless race would probably not have been enough for the top 10. The Williams simply doesn’t suit the Barcelona track.
Albon: “Another test session in the race”
It became clear during the race that something was wrong with Albon. The Thai driver pitted in the second half of the race but returned to the track a few laps later. The reason: the onboard camera was defective.
The problem apparently occurred after qualifying but could not be fully resolved due to Parc ferme rules. “There was a problem with the car after qualifying,” Albon explains. “And we couldn’t completely change it because of Parc ferme.”
“After the incident, we said: We won’t get any points anyway, so let’s make it a test session,” Albon openly stated. “We’ve done that a few times this year.”
Mechanical problem causes uncontrollable handling
There were also problems with the setup throughout the weekend. “We tried to adjust the setup again so that it was halfway decent.” However, the result was a car that was hardly predictable. “The car doesn’t behave normally from left to right,” Albon describes the problem.
Precisely this instability made the race almost unpredictable for him. Particularly frustrating for Albon was that the problems had already been hinted at throughout the weekend. “Maybe it explains why I didn’t know what car I had yesterday,” he says in retrospect.
The feeling in the cockpit was extremely variable. “From corner to corner, I didn’t know what the car would do.” Despite the technical difficulties, Albon tries to assess the situation soberly. “It might give me some clarity that something was wrong,” he explains. “But at the same time, I just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Not bad luck – but development work
When asked if Williams was simply having bad luck, Albon reacted clearly. “No, it’s okay. That’s just how it is. The cars are so new. It’s not just about the power units, but also about the reliability behind the scenes.”
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Williams is in the middle of a learning process. “We are going through a process where we have to ensure that all parts in the car work as they should.” For Albon, this is not a coincidence, but part of the development. “I wouldn’t call it bad luck. We’ll just have to get better at it.”
High-speed weakness as a fundamental problem
In addition to the technical difficulties, Williams also sees fundamental performance deficits. The team has major problems, especially on tracks with fast corners. “In high-speed, we are significantly behind our direct competitors,” Albon explains.
This makes upcoming races, such as in Austria, particularly difficult. “The Red Bull Ring has many high-speed sections in Sector 2 and 3. We’ll have to see what we can do there.”
Carlos Sainz also experienced a sobering race in Barcelona. Despite a clean start and flawless driving, the Spaniard also remained without points. “We were fighting cars that were simply faster all afternoon,” Sainz says.
The frustration is palpable, even if he doesn’t want to criticize his own performance. “I’m happy with my start and my race. But this year, a good race unfortunately doesn’t automatically mean points.” The reality in the midfield has intensified. “You end up where the car deserves. And unfortunately, that’s not in the points.”
“Not a shock – but a realization”
Sainz is particularly critical of the performance in medium and fast corners. “It was perhaps not a shock, but a clear realization of how far we are.” The gap was more significant than expected. “We are very far from where we want to be.”
Additionally, a possible investigation against Sainz caused temporary confusion. A possible violation at the start of the race was mentioned on TV, but the driver himself knew nothing about it. “I have no idea. This is the first time I’m hearing about it,” Sainz clarifies.
Thus, this aspect of the weekend also remains without clear resolution for Williams – at least for now.
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