Sainz frustrated as drivers' Monaco qualifying reform plea continues to fall on deaf ears

A Recurring Complaint at the Principality

Carlos Sainz has voiced his frustration at the persistent failure to act on a qualifying format change for the Monaco Grand Prix — an idea he and fellow drivers have raised repeatedly, only to see it shelved year after year.

"I Still Don't Understand Why"

Speaking ahead of this weekend's race in the principality, the Williams driver made no attempt to hide his bafflement.

"It wouldn't affect the pecking order at all if you go 11 teams and 11 teams and you divide the teammates or something and just the bottom three don't go through," he explained. "I don't understand why we don't do that, but Q1 here is a bit of a lottery with the traffic and the flags, so it can happen to anyone."

Interestingly, this split-group format is already in use further down the single-seater ladder — as seen in the FIA Formula 3 qualifying groups finalised for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, where the format has become an established solution to the same congestion problem.

An Idea That Evaporates After Every Drivers' Briefing

When pressed on whether the proposal had been formally submitted to the FIA, Sainz's response painted a telling picture of how driver input can stall within the sport's decision-making process.

"No, I think every single Friday it comes up on the drivers' briefing in Monaco but then it's forgotten for until the next year's drivers' briefing," he said.

The pattern is clear: a sensible, widely-supported idea surfaces, generates discussion, and then quietly disappears — only to resurface twelve months later without any progress having been made.

Off-track, Sainz's future at Williams is also attracting attention, with his manager having opened talks with Red Bull amid the team's difficult 2026 campaign. For now, though, his focus remains firmly on Monaco — a circuit where, format frustrations aside, getting qualifying right remains everything.