Sainz on Williams homework to find "something extra"

The Spaniard made the switch to the Grove-based outfit from Ferrari as part of the shake-up that saw Lewis Hamilton join the Scuderia.

But while his help during the Australian Grand Prix to ensure Alex Albon had a points-scoring strategy in the rain was applauded by team principal James Vowles, that only came after Sainz had crashed out early in the race.

Sainz then struggled to match Albon's pace across the Chinese Grand Prix weekend - though he did score a point after benefiting from disqualifications for three drivers - leading to an important two weeks of homework ahead of the first triple-header of the season in Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

"As we head to Japan for what will be the start of the triple header, I’ve been working with the team since China to try to further understand the car characteristics at the first two races and try unlocking something extra for the upcoming races," said Sainz.

While Sainz aims for improvement, Albon will be hoping to build on a positive start to the season that has seen him score points at both race weekends so far.

"We’re super focused and motivated going into this triple header," explained Albon.