Sainz says Williams now only quicker than Cadillac in F1

Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has acknowledged that recent upgrades have elevated the Aston Martin team to a "different league," leaving his own squad in a difficult position near the back of the grid. Following the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Sainz stated that Williams is now only quicker than the new Cadillac team and cannot compete with its midfield rivals. The assessment comes after a challenging weekend for Williams, where both drivers finished outside the points. Fernando Alonso secured ninth place for Aston Martin, capitalizing on a significant upgrade package introduced in Hungary and a new Honda engine. In contrast, Sainz finished 16th after a late collision with teammate Alex Albon, who retired from the race. Sainz took responsibility for the incident, stating he locked his front wheel and could not avoid contact. "We are pretty much where we expected, which is towards the back," Sainz said. "We are only quicker than Cadillac at the moment. You saw the Astons in race pace, they are a different league right now. So we couldn't fight them. We couldn't fight anyone, really.