Sainz agrees new multi-year contract with Williams as team complete 2027 driver line-up

Carlos Sainz has agreed a new multi-year contract with Williams, one day on from the news that Alex Albon is also set to stay at the team for 2027.

Sainz arrived at Williams in 2025 following his departure from Ferrari – and while the Spaniard was no longer in the fight for race wins, he went on to collect two Grand Prix podiums for the Grove-based outfit during a season in which they climbed up to P5 in the Teams’ Championship.

The 2026 campaign has been more challenging so far for the squad, but Sainz will continue with Williams after agreeing a new multi-year contract as the team aim to bounce back from their struggles and make progress towards their goal of competing at the front of the field.

"I’m thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team family," Sainz said.

"I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.

"We have what it takes to turn this around together. I’m as committed as I was on day one to helping get Williams back to where it belongs, and I look forward to creating more memories with the team.”

After losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, Sainz declined offers from multiple teams across the grid to join Williams, stating at the time that the long-term vision proposed by Team Principal James Vowles is what convinced him to sign.

Commenting on the announcement, Vowles added: "From the moment he joined, Carlos’ talent behind the steering wheel and dedication back at the factory have been extremely valuable for this project – working day in, day out with his engineers to find every millisecond.

"He is a leader of this team, and I’m thrilled that he can see what’s possible as we continue to rebuild it. It’s not just his racecraft and speed that stand out, but the work he does behind the scenes in the pursuit of high performance.

"Carlos shares the belief and ambition we have at Atlassian Williams F1 Team and is pushing every day to deliver it. Along with Alex, I truly believe we have one of the strongest line-ups on the grid, and a team capable of fighting for every ounce of performance together."

Sainz has been open about the setbacks that have led to him settling for six points so far this season, achieving his best result of P9 in the early rounds held in China, Miami and Canada.

He will therefore be hopeful that Williams' next upgrade package, set to be introduced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will put them in contention for more consistent top-10 finishes throughout the second half of the year and into 2027.