Carlos Sainz confirmed his stay at Williams after admitting he had concerns before renewing the contract. The Spaniard wanted to understand how the team intends to prevent the current disappointing season from happening again.
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Williams is experiencing a 2026 season in Formula 1 far below expectations after a remarkable performance last season, when Sainz even reached the podium. The current scenario caused frustration for the Spanish driver and fueled speculation about a possible departure, especially given the problems faced by the British team.
The start of the current season began in a complicated way for Williams, which lost the pre-season shakedown in Barcelona and faced a significant weight problem in the car. These difficulties harmed the team’s performance throughout the year and increased Sainz’s disappointment, who expected greater progress with the start of the new rules for power units.
Even in this scenario, Sainz signed a new multi-year contract with Williams before the Dutch GP. The Spaniard explained that leaving the project at the first moment of difficulty was not part of his personality.
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“No, because, in a way, I think you already know me. I don’t think it’s in my character to abandon ship when the situation is also at its worst,” Sainz said when asked if he needed to be convinced to renew.
The driver acknowledged, however, that he had concerns before making the decision: “Deep down, I always wanted to renew, but obviously I was worried, aware that we need to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he added.
“I obviously had to go back and talk to everyone on the team and understand where we are, where we plan to go, and how this affected our plans,” the Spaniard concluded.
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