Carlos Sainz is reportedly moving towards a one-year contract extension with Williams despite a deeply disappointing 2026 Formula 1 season for the Grove team. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, negotiations are under way and both Carlos Sainz and his management are currently focused exclusively on reaching a new agreement with Williams.
The decision would represent another show of faith in a project that has fallen well short of expectations this season. Carlos Sainz joined Williams in 2025 partly because he hoped Formula 1’s major regulation changes for 2026 could provide another significant step forward for one of the sport’s most historic teams.
Carlos Sainz expected much more from Williams in 2026
The Mercedes power unit appeared to offer a strong foundation for competitiveness, giving Carlos Sainz solid reasons to believe Williams could continue moving towards the front. What he did not anticipate was the technical crisis that has left the team comfortably the weakest of the Mercedes-powered operations.
After 11 Grands Prix, Mercedes has scored 379 points, McLaren 220 and Alpine 61, while Williams has managed just 11. The Grove team sits ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead only of Aston Martin and Cadillac.
The lack of progress has been particularly frustrating because Williams had entered the new regulations with considerably higher expectations. Carlos Sainz has already warned that the team’s planned Baku upgrade is unlikely to be enough to solve its 2026 problems, highlighting the scale of the recovery still required.
Carlos Sainz reportedly leaning towards one-year Williams extension
Carlos Sainz has made little effort to hide his disappointment in recent weeks, but there have also been few realistic alternatives in the driver market. None of Formula 1’s four leading teams has shown clear signs of wanting to change its current line-up.
“The plan is to decide during the break, but we need to assess things calmly,” the former Ferrari driver had previously explained.
Following recent speculation surrounding his future, Marca has now reported that negotiations with Williams are progressing.
“Negotiations are ongoing. Carlos Sainz and his management are focused exclusively on Williams and the renewal. The driver’s plan would be to renew for just one year.”
A short extension would allow Carlos Sainz to give Williams more time to recover without committing himself to the project for several additional seasons. Recent reports have also suggested that Carlos Sainz has contractual flexibility linked to a possible move to a leading team, underlining the importance of keeping his longer-term options open.
Reported €30m Williams salary questioned
The financial terms of the potential renewal are also said to be considerably lower than some figures recently reported. Williams had been linked with a huge offer to retain Carlos Sainz, with speculation suggesting a salary approaching €30 million per season. That possibility had fuelled reports of a major pay rise for Carlos Sainz despite Williams’ difficult campaign.
However, Marca reports that while an extension would improve on his current €13 million contract, the much larger figure appears unrealistic.
“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.”
Sainz leads Alex Albon but Williams remains near the bottom
After 11 races in the 2026 season, Carlos Sainz sits 15th in the Drivers’ Championship with six points, one more than Williams team-mate Alex Albon. The latest positions can be followed in the Formula 1 driver standings.
Those numbers underline how difficult the season has been for Williams, but they do not appear to have ended Carlos Sainz’s belief in the team’s longer-term potential. With few openings currently available among the leading teams, the Spaniard now appears increasingly inclined to give Williams another season while retaining the flexibility to reassess his future beyond 2027.
Leave a Reply