MONTREAL, QUEBEC - MAY 21: Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams arrives in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on May 21, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesFormula 1 is a sport that does not stay still, and challenges teams and drivers to adapt at unfathomable speeds both on and off the track.That is the test facing Carlos Sainz Jr. and Williams as the grid embarks on this weekends Canadian Grand Prix.Williams hoped to start the year in a strong position, with a focus dating back to a season ago on the incoming regulation changes. But after some struggles to begin the year, the team arrived in Montreal sitting eighth in the standings, with just five points to show from four race weekends.Still, there are signs of improvement at Williams, starting with the upgrades the team brought to the Miami Grand Prix at the start of the month. Those upgrades saw Sainz and teammate Alexander Albon both bring home points from Florida, and with more upgrades coming this week to Montreal, the team is trending in the right direction.Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, SB Nation caught up with Sainz over Microsoft Teams on Thursday to talk about the start to the season, the new site of the Spanish Grand Prix, and what will make 2026 a success for the team. The 2026 season so farEven with the teams success in Miami, Williams hoped to be further up the grid when the 2026 season began. Last year the team focused on the incoming regulation set, hoping to be on the front foot when the changes arrived.But as Sainz outlined as our conversation began, it has been a challenging start to the season for the team. Well, I think its definitely been a challenging start to the season, started Sainz.I think we all expected quite a bit more from the start of 2026, but unfortunately weve hit probably one of the first bumps on the road in our time together, and this has set us back into not being where we would like to be in terms of performance.However, the team is making changes on and off the track, changes that have already panned out and delivered improved performance. Williams brought a significant upgrade package to the Miami Grand Prix, one that included a new floor for the FW48, revised bodywork, front wing changes, a new rear suspension, and even a reduction in the overall weight of their 2026 challenger.And speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Team Principal James Vowles noted that more upgrades are coming to Montreal.We have more performance coming from Montreal, Vowles said ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. Again, its an odd situation where weve got these two weeks and we want to maximize these two weeks to the best of our ability, or three before the grand prix. And so, the pipeline is a little bit still up in the air as to what we can 100% deliver for that, but there could be a nice sizeable amount of performance.Williams indeed brought upgrades to Montreal, confirmed in their Car Presentation Submission on Friday. Those include changes to the front suspension of the FW48 as well as a repositioned exhaust tailpipe. There are also some changes off the track, as the team confirmed on Thursday that Piers Thynne was joining the leadership team as the new Chief Optimisation and Planning Officer.Sainz told me on Thursday that because of the changes, the future looks bright.Because of that, obviously now theres a lot of changes going on in the team and quite a big plan to rebuild and react to the things that we know we havent done well over the winter, and hopefully it creates a chain of reaction that will actually make things even better in the future, said the driver.We then discussed that new regulation set, which was the biggest overall of the technical regulations in the history of Formula 1. The hope was that the incoming regulations would improve the racing spectacle, so I asked the veteran driver how the racing this season was from his point of view.I think theres been a bit of everything, started Sainz. I think its been an interesting change for the drivers.Its challenged us a lot to learn different skills and different ways to drive, on an energy-starved car.Sainz then noted that despite that challenge, the cars feel better than last year. I think mainly for me, the cars actually feel quite nice to drive. The aerodynamics and the suspension feel, I would say, even better than last year.Still, the sport is working with the teams and the governing bodies to get things right, and Sainz noted that those improvements are coming. But the PU [power unit] has certainly created some challenges that Im personally not a big fan of in Formula One, and its been probably more challenging than everyone would have anticipated, and because of that, the sport, FIA, and FOM, and the teams are putting together some changes to improve it, and react to what we know is something that is probably not the best solution for F1.Speaking of the future, Sainz and the rest of the grid will head to the Madring later this season, the site of the new track in Madrid and the new Spanish Grand Prix. Sainz was the first driver to get a chance to tackle the new circuit alongside Lawrence Barretto, which made for an incredible bit of content:The first full lap of Madring! Carlos Sainz takes the honour of driving the first laps of the new track in Spain! #F1#SpanishGPpic.twitter.com/fDnlKW2b8T Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2026I asked Sainz about the new track, and the new Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. I think Madrid is gonna be, I hope its gonna be, a special, special race, started Sainz. I think its important that when a new track comes into a calendar that it has character, and its different. Its charismatic.And I think Madrid from the laps I did the other day has quite a bit of that, has very interesting sections of a track with a massive banking corner that ends up in a huge compression that you only see the sky for a bit, described the Spanish driver. So it has some interesting corners, and Im hoping the event is gonna run well. We are used to creating or hosting pretty big events during the year.People say that Madrid is a great city, so Im hoping that people will enjoy it.Looking to Montreal and beyondOur conversation then turned to this weekends Canadian Grand Prix, as well as the rest of the season.As many discussions regarding the Canadian Grand Prix begin, we started with the weather. Forecasts are calling for some rain over the weekend, potentially impacting the Grand Prix on Sunday. Sainz outlined that weather would make for an interesting environment under the new regulations.It looks right now like Friday and Saturday will be dry, and theres a chance of rain on Sunday, started Sainz.If there is, I think its gonna be quite clear that the rain on Sunday could create a lot of different situations with the new power units, but also I think it would be the first time with these cars in the wet.So if that rain arrives on Sunday, it would be interesting to see.This is also the first time that the Canadian Grand Prix will see the F1 Sprint format, with qualifying for the shorter race coming on Friday after just one hour of practice. Sainz told me that the layout of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve suits the format well. I think, a sprint is a circuit it suits well, as its possible to overtake, said Sainz before cautioning that with these new engines also its gonna be quite a big challenge on this long straight, so a lot to prepare for.I asked Sainz to elaborate on the challenges that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will pose to the drivers given the new regulation set.Its very challenging for the driver because youre always debating whether to push more on the braking or prepare more for the exit of the chicanes. You always run super close to the walls.Its low grip.Theres quite a bit of sliding so as a driver, theres a lot of things you need to keep balancing with the add-on this year that were also gonna need to be looking at our PU batteries quite a lot in those long straights, outlined Sainz.So, yeah, its gonna for sure be one of the challenging ones.As for what Sainz and Williams can achieve this weekend, the driver hopes they can be in the fight for points once more, as they were in Miami.I think were coming off the back of more of a positive weekend in Miami where we were certainly performing more [than] at the beginning of the season.Weve brought a few upgrades to Miami that worked well.We brought another few here which were hoping to also be a bit more competitive, started Sainz.I think the combination of these things hopefully will make us fight for the points again here in Canada, and then we will need more of these to come if we want to keep going in the right direction.And what does that right direction look like? What is a successful season for Sainz and Williams?In a word, speed.I think for me now, it will be a lot about how this season ends, not how it started, said Sainz when I asked him what a successful season looks like. So evaluating and seeing the amount of progress that were able to do after such a big bump and setback of the start of the season, continued the driver. Im really hoping that we can finish the season strong and show this year resilience to the setback,adapt to the situation, and manage to correct the mistakes. And end the season strongly, not so much caring about the points that we get, the amount of positions we gained through the year, but just being strong at the end of the season, and being fast, and showing that weve developed the car a lot.And weve become very, very quick.That mission continues this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix.

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The PWHL filled its final two expansion team general manager openings with three-time U.S. Olympian Meghan Duggan taking over in Hamilton, Ontario, and Troy Ryan leaving the Toronto Sceptres to take on the dual role of coach and GM in San Jose.The hirings were announced Friday and complete the leagues round of GM additions for each of its four new franchises, which will begin play next season.The 38-year-old Duggan spent the past five years in a player development role in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. She brings high-profile name recognition and experience to the PWHLs fifth Canadian-based franchise.She had already been working with the PWHL as a special consultant for the hockey operations department. Before her retirement in 2020, Duggan was a founding member of the PWHPA, which was made up of a group of players who helped establish the PWHL three years ago.Meghan has been an effective leader at every stage of her career, and she is a rising star in the front office ranks, said PWHL executive VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford, who oversaw the hiring process.Ryan first in PWHL to have both rolesRyan, meantime, leaves Toronto after coaching the team in its first three seasons to become the PWHLs first to handle both coaching and GM duties. The move continues an offseason of transition for Ryan. He previously said hes stepping down after a six-year stint as head coach the Canadian national womens team.The 54-year-old Ryan coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and won silver at the Milan Cortina Games in February.Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from the standards and culture, to the people and connection to the community, Ryan said. We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents the Bay Area with pride, and helps continue to grow womens hockey on the West Coast.The four new franchises grow the PWHL to 12 teams for next season, doubling the leagues size since it began play in 2024. The league also added teams in Detroit and Las Vegas.Among Duggan and Ryans immediate responsibilities are hiring their staff, including a coach in Hamilton, while also filling out their rosters. The leagues expansion signing process is set to begin in two weeks, followed by the draft on June 17.Duggan's international successDuggan is from Danvers, Massachusetts, and won Olympic silver medals in 2010 and 2014 before winning gold in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, with her serving as team captain. She also won seven gold medals and one silver in eight world championship appearances.Despite her U.S. roots, Duggan has Canadian connections. Shes married to former Team Canada rival Gillian Apps, who is from the Toronto area, about an hours drive east of Hamilton.This league represents the future of womens professional sports. And the opportunity to help build a team, culture, and identity from the ground up is a privilege, Duggan said. Hamilton is a passionate sports city with a rich hockey tradition, and my goal is to create an environment where players can thrive and compete for a championship.Duggan played at Wisconsin, where she won the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as womens college hockeys MVP following her senior season with the Badgers.Ryan brings a wealth of hockey front office and coaching experience to the PWHLs first team in California. He was the PWHLs first coach of the year in 2024, and has a career record of 52-32-10.Under Ryan, the Sceptres lost in the semifinal round of the playoffs in their first two seasons, and finished fifth this year after being eliminated on the final day of the regular season. In Toronto, he worked with GM Gina Kingsbury, who held the same role with Team Canada.Ryan is credited for helping turn around a Canadian national team program that hit its low in winning bronze at the 2019 world championships. In the five following world tournament appearances under Ryan, Canada won three gold medals and two silvers.Ryan is from Nova Scotia, and worked in several GM and coaching jobs in the mens Junior A Maritime Hockey League. He then made the switch in becoming head coach of the Dalhousie University womens team from 2020-23.___AP womens hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

The PWHL filled its final two expansion team general manager openings with three-time U.S. Olympian Meghan Duggan taking over in Hamilton, Ontario, and Troy Ryan leaving the Toronto Sceptres to take on the dual role of coach and GM in San Jose.The hirings were announced Friday and complete the leagues round of GM additions for each of its four new franchises, which will begin play next season.The 38-year-old Duggan spent the past five years in a player development role in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. She brings high-profile name recognition and experience to the PWHLs fifth Canadian-based franchise.She had already been working with the PWHL as a special consultant for the hockey operations department. Before her retirement in 2020, Duggan was a founding member of the PWHPA, which was made up of a group of players who helped establish the PWHL three years ago.Meghan has been an effective leader at every stage of her career, and she is a rising star in the front office ranks, said PWHL executive VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford, who oversaw the hiring process.Ryan first in PWHL to have both rolesRyan, meantime, leaves Toronto after coaching the team in its first three seasons to become the PWHLs first to handle both coaching and GM duties. The move continues an offseason of transition for Ryan. He previously said hes stepping down after a six-year stint as head coach the Canadian national womens team.The 54-year-old Ryan coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and won silver at the Milan Cortina Games in February.Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from the standards and culture, to the people and connection to the community, Ryan said. We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents the Bay Area with pride, and helps continue to grow womens hockey on the West Coast.The four new franchises grow the PWHL to 12 teams for next season, doubling the leagues size since it began play in 2024. The league also added teams in Detroit and Las Vegas.Among Duggan and Ryans immediate responsibilities are hiring their staff, including a coach in Hamilton, while also filling out their rosters. The leagues expansion signing process is set to begin in two weeks, followed by the draft on June 17.Duggan's international successDuggan is from Danvers, Massachusetts, and won Olympic silver medals in 2010 and 2014 before winning gold in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, with her serving as team captain. She also won seven gold medals and one silver in eight world championship appearances.Despite her U.S. roots, Duggan has Canadian connections. Shes married to former Team Canada rival Gillian Apps, who is from the Toronto area, about an hours drive east of Hamilton.This league represents the future of womens professional sports. And the opportunity to help build a team, culture, and identity from the ground up is a privilege, Duggan said. Hamilton is a passionate sports city with a rich hockey tradition, and my goal is to create an environment where players can thrive and compete for a championship.Duggan played at Wisconsin, where she won the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as womens college hockeys MVP following her senior season with the Badgers.Ryan brings a wealth of hockey front office and coaching experience to the PWHLs first team in California. He was the PWHLs first coach of the year in 2024, and has a career record of 52-32-10.Under Ryan, the Sceptres lost in the semifinal round of the playoffs in their first two seasons, and finished fifth this year after being eliminated on the final day of the regular season. In Toronto, he worked with GM Gina Kingsbury, who held the same role with Team Canada.Ryan is credited for helping turn around a Canadian national team program that hit its low in winning bronze at the 2019 world championships. In the five following world tournament appearances under Ryan, Canada won three gold medals and two silvers.Ryan is from Nova Scotia, and worked in several GM and coaching jobs in the mens Junior A Maritime Hockey League. He then made the switch in becoming head coach of the Dalhousie University womens team from 2020-23.___AP womens hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero will be thousands of miles away in Argentina when his club faces a potential relegation catastrophe on Sunday.The injured defender has travelled to his homeland to watch boyhood side Belgrano take on River Plate in a historic Argentine league championship final, rather than supporting his teammates against Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Belgrano's official X account shared footage of Romero at their training ground on Thursday evening, while the club's president Luis Artime confirmed the 28-year-old would be in attendance for the title decider."He wrote to us and he congratulated us, he said that we need to make history," Artime told Argentine publication Deportes 24. "Will he have tickets? Of course, he'll watch it next to me."Roberto De Zerbi addressed the controversy at his Friday press conference, revealing that Romero had consulted with medical staff before departing."Together, they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentinian medical staff," the Spurs manager explained.De Zerbi insisted his captain had shown commitment throughout his tenure, stating: "He showed always he wanted to stay with us. He's already injured. We have to accept."The Italian acknowledged supporter frustration, however, saying he "100 per cent" understood the anger surrounding Romero's absence."He can't change anything, Romero, if he is at the stadium or not," De Zerbi added. "Finally, I have no time to lose energy thinking about other things, we have to be focused just on the game."The decision has provoked fierce backlash across social media, with numerous supporters labelling Romero's choice as "disgraceful".One fan wrote: "The captain of Tottenham Hotspur choosing to personally miss the club's biggest-ever league match in our recent modern history. Romero should never be allowed to put on a Spurs shirt ever again."Another stated: "Massive game on Sunday and he doesn't give a f***."Many have suggested this signals the end of his time at the club regardless of Sunday's outcome, with the defender heavily linked to Atletico Madrid despite signing a contract extension last year.Romero has previously been outspoken about the club's hierarchy. Following January's defeat at Bournemouth, he apologised to fans before adding: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't as has been happening for several years now."Spurs enter the final day controlling their own destiny, sitting two points clear of West Ham in 18th position.Victory over Everton would secure 17th place and condemn the Hammers to the drop, while even a draw should suffice given Tottenham's superior goal difference.West Ham host Leeds on Sunday needing three points to have any realistic hope of survival.For Tottenham, defeat combined with a Hammers win would trigger their first relegation in 49 years.De Zerbi highlighted the contrasting approaches within his squad, noting that defender Ben Davies had specifically requested to stay with teammates at the team hotel on Saturday night."Not all leaders are the same," the manager observed, adding that Romero was focused on preparing for this summer's World Cup following his knee injury.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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