Carlos Sainz makes final decision on Williams future days before Dutch GP amid Red Bull links

Carlos Sainz has made a final call on his future at Williams after being linked with moves to both Red Bull and Alpine.

The Spaniard joined the British team after leaving Ferrari in 2025 but has endured a tough first season and a half at Williams.

In 2025, Sainz finished ninth in the Drivers’ Championship standings on 64 points, behind team-mate Alex Albon, who earned 73.

And Williams’ 2026 season has not gone as planned, with Albon currently 16th on five points with zero podiums or race victories after 11 rounds of action, while Sainz has not fared much better, with the 31-year-old currently in 15th on just six points ahead of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Despite the poor returns from both drivers, Williams confirmed Albon had signed a new one-year contract with them until the end of the 2027 season on Tuesday (August 18).

Carlos Sainz makes decision on Williams future

On Wednesday (August 19), the F1 team confirmed that they had also retained Sainz’s services for next season and possibly beyond, despite the driver being linked with both Red Bull and Alpine in recent months.

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Explaining the decision to keep faith with Sainz, team principal James Vowles said: “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.”

Meanwhile, Sainz also spoke out after signing the multi-year contract, announcing that he is “thrilled” to continue his journey with Atlassian Williams.

“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,” Sainz said.

“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.”

Sainz secured his best result of P9 earlier in the season at the China, Miami and Canada races and will be hoping Williams’ upgrade package, set to come into effect at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will help him progress in the second half of the campaign.