Carlos Sainz has committed his Formula One future to Williams after agreeing a new multi-year contract that will keep him with the team beyond the 2027 season.
The 31-year-old Spaniard joined Williams in 2025 as part of the team’s long-term attempt to return to the front of the grid. His existing agreement was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but both sides have now opted to continue their partnership despite a difficult 2026 season.
Sainz’s extension comes shortly after Williams confirmed that team-mate Alex Albon will also remain with the squad for 2027, giving the team continuity in its driver line-up as it continues its rebuilding programme.
The four-time Grand Prix winner arrived at Williams after three seasons with Ferrari, where he claimed victories between 2022 and 2024. Before making the move, Sainz also had the option of joining Audi’s Formula One project, which entered the championship this year following its takeover of Sauber.
His first season with Williams exceeded expectations in several areas. Sainz secured two podium finishes as the team made progress up the constructors’ standings and finished fifth, a result that came earlier than initially anticipated in its development plan.
The momentum has not carried into 2026, however. Williams began the season with a car that arrived late and was above its intended weight, contributing to a significant decline in competitiveness. At the halfway stage of the campaign, the team sits ninth among the 11 constructors.
Team principal James Vowles had previously identified 2026 as an important year for Williams, particularly because Formula One introduced a major new set of technical regulations. Developing an entirely new car around those rules placed heavy pressure on the team’s factory and infrastructure.
Vowles has acknowledged that the demands of the programme stretched Williams beyond its previous operational limits. However, the team has since made changes behind the scenes that it believes will provide a stronger foundation for future seasons.
Sainz has remained closely involved in that development work, contributing extensively with engineers both at race weekends and at the factory. Williams sees his technical input, experience and leadership as important parts of its long-term recovery.
Despite the team’s current struggles, Sainz has chosen to remain committed to the project rather than seek another move. His new agreement signals confidence that Williams can recover from its 2026 setback and continue building toward its stated objective of becoming a regular contender again.
Williams remains one of Formula One’s most successful historic teams, with nine constructors’ championships, although its most recent title came in 1997. The latest deals for Sainz and Albon give the squad stability as it attempts to close the gap to the front under the sport’s new regulatory era.