Carlos Sainz is quite close to signing a new contract with Williams in Formula 1, with the announcement expected to happen in the coming days before the Dutch GP, as pointed out by RacingNews365.
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The Spaniard has been negotiating his future with the British team with James Vowles beyond 2026, and it is now understood that the talks are already in the final stages. The financial details are not known, but sources from the portal indicate that the ‘Smooth Operator’ will receive a substantial salary increase.
In 2026, Williams has been struggling with a lack of performance in Formula 1, occupying only ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship – among the drivers, Sainz finished three times in the points zone and Alexander Albon only once.
And with such a below-expected performance that has not met expectations, a seat in the team is not so attractive, making it important to keep Sainz. Therefore, the team would be willing to make commitments such as salary and other factors.
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A departure of Carlos from Williams was even speculated, linking the Spaniard even to Audi for 2027, but there are few seats available on the grid for the next season – including, in the case of the German team, Gabriel Bortoleto has already emphasized that his contract is for next year and beyond.
Therefore, thinking about the driver market for the championship that comes, Sainz will likely focus on team performance clauses, as well as points classification and other important factors.
After 11 rounds and on the eve of the championship resumption, Sainz has six points and is 15th in the Drivers’ Championship, one position behind Bortoleto and four points behind the Brazilian.
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