Carlos Sainz is reportedly moving towards giving Williams another year despite the team’s deeply disappointing 2026 Formula 1 season, with negotiations now focused on a potential one-year contract extension. According to Spanish publication Marca, Carlos Sainz and his management are concentrating exclusively on reaching a new agreement with Williams, and an announcement could arrive soon.
The development represents a significant change in the outlook surrounding the Spaniard after weeks of uncertainty over his future at Grove. Carlos Sainz has openly expressed disappointment with Williams’ performance this season, but opportunities elsewhere appear limited because Formula 1’s four leading teams have given little indication that they intend to change their current driver line-ups.
Carlos Sainz endured disappointing start to 2026 with Williams
When Carlos Sainz chose Williams in 2025 following the end of his time with Ferrari, part of the attraction was the possibility that Formula 1’s major 2026 regulatory change could provide another important step forward for the historic British team.
The Mercedes power unit appeared to offer a strong foundation for competitiveness, giving Carlos Sainz solid reasons to believe Williams could continue its upward trajectory. What the Spaniard could not have anticipated was the technical crisis that followed. Williams has fallen comfortably behind the other Mercedes-powered teams. At the summer break, Mercedes leads the Constructors’ Championship with 379 points, while McLaren has 220 and Alpine 61. Williams, by comparison, has collected only 11 points.
The Grove team sits ninth in the championship, ahead of only Aston Martin and Cadillac, highlighting the scale of the regression after the optimism surrounding its previous campaign. Williams is also working to recover technically, although its planned Baku development package is not expected to solve every weakness immediately.
Is Carlos Sainz now ready to stay at Williams?
Carlos Sainz has not hidden his frustration in recent weeks, although the driver market has produced relatively few realistic alternatives. With the leading teams showing little appetite to alter their line-ups, remaining at Williams has increasingly emerged as a viable option.
“The plan is to decide during the break, but we need to assess things calmly,” the former Ferrari driver had explained.
Following the recent speculation surrounding his future, Marca has now provided an update on negotiations between Carlos Sainz and Williams.
“Negotiations are ongoing. Sainz and his management are focused exclusively on Williams and the renewal. The driver’s plan would be to renew for only one year.”
A one-year agreement would allow Carlos Sainz to give Williams another opportunity to demonstrate that it can recover from its current technical difficulties without committing himself too far into the future.
Reported €30m Williams offer played down
The financial terms are also reportedly different from the enormous figures that emerged recently. Claims that Williams could offer Carlos Sainz €30 million to stay have attracted considerable attention, but the latest information from Spain suggests that number is excessive.
“It will certainly be an improvement on his current €13 million contract, but €30 million seems exaggerated. News of the extension with Williams could arrive at any moment after next Monday.”
The situation therefore appears to be moving towards continuity rather than an immediate departure, although no new agreement has yet been officially announced.
Sainz has six points after 11 races
After 11 Grands Prix in the 2026 season, Carlos Sainz is 15th in the Formula 1 driver standings with only six points. That leaves him one point ahead of Williams team-mate Alex Albon, who has scored five.
Williams’ combined total of 11 points leaves the team ninth in the Constructors’ Championship and a long way from the position it had hoped to occupy when the new regulations arrived.
Despite those difficulties, the latest indications from Spain suggest Carlos Sainz is prepared to place his trust in Williams once again. A one-year extension would give the Grove team additional time to prove that its 2026 problems can be overcome while allowing the Spaniard to reassess his options once the competitive picture for the following seasons becomes clearer.
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