Carlos Sainz says he never considered leaving Williams despite the team’s difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Spaniard signed a new contract alongside team-mate Alexander Albon last week, committing his future to the Grove-based team.
Williams, a nine-time constructors’ championship winner, has struggled so far this season. The FW48 has slipped down the competitive order and failed to score points in the last six races. The downturn had led team principal James Vowles to question whether he could retain his current driver line-up.
Sainz dismisses Audi links
Sainz held discussions with Williams and the future Audi team after losing his Ferrari seat ahead of the 2025 season, eventually choosing the Grove-based outfit. Two years later, reports linked him with a potential move to Audi for 2027, although there was no clear vacancy at the Hinwil-based team.
However, Sainz told Motorsport.com that he had not seriously considered such a move.
“No, it was just the usual paddock rumours,” he said in our exclusive interview. “I can confirm that this year I never seriously considered going anywhere else.”
Unlike Albon, who has committed to Williams for 2027 only, Sainz signed a “multi-year contract”. The wording suggests the agreement runs at least until 2028, although such language is also commonly used for contracts containing options for subsequent seasons.
Why Sainz stayed with Williams
Asked whether the new agreement meant he was no longer available to Formula 1’s leading teams, Sainz gave an indirect response.
“The usual process is that, before signing a contract, you always assess the overall situation,” he said. “But when we put everything on the table, another aspect emerged that is very important to me: I’ve never liked leaving a team when it’s going through a difficult period.
“It’s not in my character to go somewhere else if the situation has become worse since I joined the team. When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments and, even though the one we’re going through now is particularly tough, I’m ready to accept it.
“Nobody in the team is happy with the current situation, and we’re all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But, as I said, it’s not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”
