Source:REUTERS/ Hamad I Mohammed
[Saba Sports News] During the Bahrain test race, Williams’ new car, the FW48, performed poorly, primarily due to its excessive weight. Team driver Carlos Sainz expressed frustration after driving the car for several dozen laps. He bluntly stated that it felt “like driving a truck.” Although the team later made efforts to reduce the car’s weight, it still remained 7 kg heavier than Ferrari’s car. For drivers, the impact of an overweight car is both direct and critical. The heavy chassis significantly reduces the car’s agility in corners, and acceleration on straightaways becomes sluggish, forcing drivers to exert more physical effort each lap compared to driving a car of normal weight. Sainz’s complaint highlights the difficulty of handling this car, especially in the highly competitive world of Formula 1, where even a slight weight difference can affect the final race outcome.
In the editor’s view, this legendary team undoubtedly faces a challenging start to the new season. Although the team plans to introduce upgrade packages after the season opener to further reduce weight and improve performance, the issue of excess weight will likely haunt the team in the short term.