Aug 19 (Reuters) – Carlos Sainz has signed a new multi-year contract with Williams, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday, securing his future with the British outfit and completing its driver line-up for 2027 alongside Alex Albon.
The 31-year-old Spaniard, a four-time race winner, joined Williams in 2025 after signing a two-year deal with options to extend in July 2024, following his departure from Ferrari in a major coup for the British team.
Since joining Williams, Sainz has delivered two Grand Prix podium finishes and a Sprint podium, underlining his contribution to the team’s progress.
“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 said in a statement.
The announcement comes a day after Thai-British driver Albon, 30, extended his stay with the team. Together, the pair form one of the most experienced driver line-ups on the Formula One grid, with more than 370 Grand Prix starts and 31 podium finishes between them.
Their commitment comes amid a difficult season for Williams, who sit ninth in the 11-team constructors’ championship. Sainz is 15th in the drivers’ standings with six points, while Albon is 16th on five.
Williams, nine-time constructors’ champions, finished fifth in the standings last season, their best result since 2016, with Sainz and Albon playing key roles in the team’s revival.
“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,” Sainz added.
Sainz is one of only three drivers, alongside Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell, to have raced for Ferrari, McLaren and Williams.
The Formula One season resumes after a summer break with this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the 12th round of the championship, before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza two weeks later.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Comments