Williams denies chassis disadvantage for Carlos Sainz amid early season F1 2025 struggles

Carlos Sainz’s slow start to the 2025 F1 season triggered speculation he might be using outdated equipment at Williams. But the team has denied these claims, confirming that both Sainz and teammate Alex Albon are running the same updated FW47 chassis.

According to F1 journalist Chris Medland, who addressed the issue on X, some reports suggested Sainz was driving a rebuilt 2024 chassis due to budget limitations. However, Williams clarified that the FW47 is a modified version of last year’s FW46 and that both drivers are using identical equipment. “The monocoque for 2025 is modified from the FW46, but it is the same one,” the team said. They also confirmed the team has three chassis available, ensuring Sainz isn’t limited to a single option.

The clarification comes amid Sainz’s recent struggles on track. While Albon finished fifth in Australia and seventh in China, Sainz crashed out in Melbourne and only scored a single point in Shanghai, helped by three post-race disqualifications.

Speaking to media, Sainz described the shift in performance as one of the most puzzling of his career. “I’ve been very quick in testing… but I don’t know where all that pace has gone,” he said. He added that despite mirroring Albon’s setup changes, the results did not translate on his side of the garage.

With ten days until the Japanese Grand Prix, Williams is focused on solving the setup puzzle to get Sainz back on pace.