Carlos Sainz has rubbished the claim from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff that next year’s Formula 1 cars could reach speeds of up to 400 km/h.
2026 will see the introduction of a radical new set of technical regulations, threatening to shake up the sport in a way not seen since the introduction of the hybrid era in 2014.
Whilst the V6 hybrids will remain, there is now a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power, it is generally accepted that laptimes will be slower.
This is due to the energy conservation of the car’s battery, something that drivers will have to tackle often, potentially on a lap-by-lap basis.
However, Wolff, quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, recently said of the engines: “When the full power is called up, we will scratch the 400 km/h limit.”
Sainz, who will drive a Mercedes-powered car in 2026 with Williams, said ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix that the Austrian’s optimism is unfounded.
“I wish if that’s the case,” he joked to media including Motorsport Week. “The HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] must be doing a good job, but I didn’t hit [400 km/h].”
The Spaniard revealed that in early instances of driving a 2026 car in Williams’ simulator, that particular speed was not reached.
“Anywhere not close to 400 km/h in the simulator, so I don’t know where that comes from,” he concluded.
Gasly ‘doesn’t believe’ Wolff assessment
Pierre Gasly corroborated Sainz’s take on the issue, the Frenchman being another driver who will utilise Mercedes power next year, as Alpine becomes its newest customer.
“I don’t believe stories, I only believe what I see,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I’m sure we can even go 400 with those cars if you change the gearbox and increase the straights. Take off the first chicane in Monza?” he quipped.
“I don’t know, I’ve tried the car in the simulator and I know what it does,” Gasly added. “I’m not too sure where that comes from, to be honest.
“We’ll see next year. I’m happy if my car goes 400 km per hour, that’s for sure.”
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