Carlos Sainz issues brutal Williams statement one day after signing huge new contract

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz issues brutal Williams statement one day after signing huge new contract

Sainz pulled no punches

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 21 August 2026 09:45

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Carlos Sainz issued a brutally honest statement about his Williams 2026 car, just 24 hours after signing a blockbuster new deal with the iconic F1 team.

On Wednesday, Sainz committed his future to the team on a massive multi-year deal which is believed to be worth 30million Euro per season. The deal also contains exit clauses, per multiple reports

That news came after weeks of speculation about the future of Sainz, with the 31-year-old Spaniard being linked with Audi and Red Bull among others.

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That speculation came as a result of an awful first half of 2026 for Williams, which has seen the team drop from fifth in the Constructors' standings in 2025 to ninth so far this season. They have only the embarrassingly bad Aston Martin and rookies Cadillac beneath them.

The FW48 car has been a disaster for team principal James Vowles and co, coming in significantly overweight and making it a miserable year for Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon.

Sainz and Albon have had a miserable 2026 at Williams.

Sainz keeps it very real about Williams situation

A major upgrade is coming for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku next month, and it is expected to improve the situation. But just 24 hours on from signing his new deal, Sainz put a major damper on anybody expecting a miraculous renaissance.

Speaking with Spanish outlet AS in Zandvoort ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, he revealed: “I think the Baku package, if it works out, could get us a little closer to the top 10.

"But we're so far behind even the Racing Bulls, a second-and-a-half off in Budapest, that unless you bring a completely new car, like Aston Martin has, an upgrade package won't give you a second, a second and a half. So we would need to bring a new car, and there's no time this year."

2026 car is a 'flawed concept' says Sainz

Sainz also went into detail on why the 2026 Williams has been so bad, claiming it is a fundamentally 'flawed concept'.

“We've created a concept that can't be developed much further because it's a flawed concept," he said.

"It's not fast, and we don't have the capacity to evolve it at the pace of the top teams, who are three seconds ahead, so it's clear something isn't working.

"Last year, we were able to develop the car because we understood the regulations and had a car concept that was the same as, or very similar to, the others. We were the team that made the biggest leap.

"So it's clear that this year, when we've had to start from scratch, we haven't gotten the concept right, and that's preventing us from evolving.”

F1 Carlos Sainz Williams