Carlos Sainz to sign new Williams contract despite 2026 F1 difficulties - report

Carlos Sainz is to sign a one-year contract extension with Williams, according to reports in Spanish media. 

Sainz penned an initial three-year deal to join Williams from Ferrari as a golden capture for the team in a signal of intent under James Vowles' leadership. 

In his first season with the team, Sainz scored podiums in Azerbaijan and Qatar - the team's first since Lance Stroll in 2017, George Russell's second-place finish at the washed-out 2021 Belgian GP aside.

In his second season with the team, Sainz has comprehensively outperformed team-mate Alex Albon in qualifying, holding a 9-2 advantage, with an average time difference of 0.311s in the Spanish driver's favour. 

In races, Sainz has scored six of Williams' 11 points in an as-yet disappointing season for the team, with the FW48 machine initially missing the Barcelona shakedown test in pre-season and then proving to be significantly overweight, although the team has taken successful remedial measures to shed some of the excess.

A huge upgrade package is planned for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Sainz set to commit his future to the team by signing a one-year extension to his current contract, Marca has reported.

The four-time grand prix winner has suggested his future could be away from Williams, and was heavily linked to Audi before agreeing to join the project at Grove, but there is no apparent space at any leading team for Sainz. 

Red Bull appears to be locked down with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, whilst his Ferrari replacement Lewis Hamilton and former team-mate Charles Leclerc are both on long-term deals at Maranello. 

Mercedes is not set to change its line-up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, nor is a return to McLaren a prospect, with reigning world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri firmly in situ. 

An Audi seat is now deemed unlikely for Sainz, with the team happy with both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.