Carlos Sainz Signs New Multi-Year Williams Contract

Carlos Sainz has signed a new multi-year contract with Williams that will keep him at the Formula One team into 2027 and beyond. BBC Sport reported the agreement on Wednesday, while Williams and the Spanish driver announced the extension jointly. The precise length and financial terms were not disclosed.

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The deal completes Williams' driver line-up for the 2027 season. Alex Albon confirmed his own extension with the team on Tuesday, giving Williams continuity with the same pairing for a third consecutive campaign. The 2027 season will also mark the team's 50th anniversary in Formula One.

Sainz joined Williams from Ferrari for the 2025 season. During his first year with the Grove-based team, he earned two Grand Prix podium finishes and another podium in a sprint race. Williams finished fifth in the constructors' championship, its best final position since 2016, after several seasons near the back of the grid.

That progress has been harder to sustain in 2026. Formula One's official website has reported that delays and excess weight affected the FW48, while the car has also lacked downforce. The difficult start prompted questions about whether Sainz would remain after his existing agreement reached its final guaranteed season, but the new contract settles his immediate future.

Team principal James Vowles said in the Williams announcement, as reported by Cadena SER, that Sainz's driving talent and factory work had been extremely valuable to the project. The team highlighted his day-to-day work with engineers as Williams continues investing in its effort to return to the front of the field.

Sainz, 31, has four Formula One victories and previously raced for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari before moving to Williams. His renewed commitment gives the team an experienced partnership with Albon as it develops under the sport's current technical regulations. Williams has not set out performance guarantees with the announcement, and the extension does not by itself resolve the problems that have limited the car in 2026, but it removes a major driver-market uncertainty ahead of 2027.