Sainz commits to Williams rebuild through 2027 and beyond

One day on from the news that Alex Albon had extended his stay with Williams, Carlos Sainz has also agreed a new multi-year contract with the team, completing their 2027 driver line-up. Sainz arrived at Williams in 2025 following his departure from Ferrari, and while the Spaniard was no longer in the fight for race wins, he collected two Grand Prix podiums for the Grove-based outfit during a season in which they climbed to P5 in the Teams' Championship.

The 2026 campaign has been more challenging so far for the squad, but Sainz will continue with Williams after agreeing a new multi-year deal as the team aims to bounce back from their struggles and progress towards their goal of competing at the front of the field.

"I'm thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team family," Sainz said. "I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.

"We have what it takes to turn this around together. I'm as committed as I was on day one to helping get Williams back to where it belongs, and I look forward to creating more memories with the team."

Why Sainz stayed despite a tough year

After losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, Sainz declined offers from multiple teams across the grid to join Williams, stating at the time that the long-term vision proposed by Team Principal James Vowles is what convinced him to sign. But the four-time race winner's decision to remain was far from automatic.

This hasn't been the smoothest of seasons for Sainz and Williams. The Spaniard picked Williams over Sauber/Audi and Alpine for 2025, and scored two unexpected podiums last season to help drive the team to a surprise P5. However, delays in production meant Williams missed the pre-season shakedown and, when they did get to track, the car was slow and overweight. As a result, they've been on the back foot ever since and points have been hard to come by.

It has meant Sainz has had to reset his expectations regarding when the team will be in a position to start fighting for podiums and race wins, pushing the timeline back by a year or two at a minimum. Like his team mate Alex Albon, Sainz was on a multi-year deal believed to have featured a clause allowing him to exit at the end of 2026. He did his due diligence and assessed his options elsewhere, with plenty of interest from rivals given the high level he is performing at.

However, after considering it over the summer with his team, the 31-year-old believed staying with Williams was his best option. The Spaniard has a great relationship with Vowles and the management team across the organisation, creating the conditions for him to flourish. He's seen first-hand what they are capable of during one-and-a-half years, from getting the best out of a package to rebounding when their back is against the wall.

Sainz is all in trying to make this project work and believes this year was a blip rather than the start of a downward spiral. That's why he's signed a multi-year deal, believed to be on improved terms, to show his commitment. However, it is understood there are clauses in place that would allow him to leave should performance tail off. If Williams level up and progress sufficiently, he will have no reason to look elsewhere. But if Williams have another tough year, he can assess his options — and he will have plenty of interest, especially as more seats are likely to be available in 2028.

Vowles delighted to retain his duo

Commenting on the announcement, Vowles added: "From the moment he joined, Carlos' talent behind the steering wheel and dedication back at the factory have been extremely valuable for this project — working day in, day out with his engineers to find every millisecond.

"He is a leader of this team, and I'm thrilled that he can see what's possible as we continue to rebuild it. It's not just his racecraft and speed that stand out, but the work he does behind the scenes in the pursuit of high performance.

"Carlos shares the belief and ambition we have at Atlassian Williams F1 Team and is pushing every day to deliver it. Along with Alex, I truly believe we have one of the strongest line-ups on the grid, and a team capable of fighting for every ounce of performance together."

Sainz has been open about the setbacks that have led to him settling for six points so far this season, achieving his best result of P9 in the early rounds held in China, Miami and Canada. He will therefore be hopeful that Williams' next upgrade package, set to be introduced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will put them in contention for more consistent top-10 finishes throughout the second half of the year and into 2027.

For Vowles, keeping his line-up intact — Albon confirmed on Tuesday that he is also staying for 2027 — despite the team's struggles is an impressive achievement. It's now down to him to lead a revival next year and reward Sainz and Albon for their commitment to the cause.