(Motorsport-Total.com) – Carlos Sainz had imagined the course of the 2026 Formula 1 season differently. The Spaniard had actually hoped to take another step towards the top of the field with Williams this year. Instead, the team from Grove crashed and is currently only in ninth place in the World Championship.
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Nevertheless, Sainz recently extended his contract with Williams for several more years. In an exclusive interview with the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, a sister publication of Motorsport-Total.com in the Motorsport Network, the Spaniard talks about his motivations and future plans.
Question: “How is Carlos Sainz doing currently?”
Carlos Sainz: “I am doing well because I am driving well. On a personal level, I know I am doing everything to help the team, and I also believe that the performance level I am delivering is very good.”
Question: “When you announced your deal with Williams two years ago, you made it clear that you believed in the project but also that you would consider an offer from a top team if one came along. How are things today?”
Sainz: “My first year at Williams was a positive surprise. I think we made a huge step forward last season.”
“I did not expect to be on the podium with this team already in 2025, and we had a very strong season. Obviously, this progress raised expectations for 2026. I thought we would be much closer to where we wanted to be. Instead, these higher expectations, combined with the problems we had with the car, led to some disappointment.”
“I am not revealing any secrets when I say that James [Vowles], the whole team, and I are aware that we have not met the goals we set ourselves. The only thing we have to do now is understand why, learn from our mistakes, and find the right path for next year.”
Weak season start: Sainz believed in the turnaround
Question: “The car arrived very late for winter testing. Was that the first warning sign?”
Sainz: “The overall picture did not become clear immediately, because at the start of the season I thought the problems were mainly due to delays in completing the project and the weight of the car.”
“I thought: We will start slower, but we will catch up through development, just like in 2025. The situation changed when we brought our upgrades to the track and saw that our rivals improved more than we did. That’s when I realized we were not on the right path and probably had not interpreted the new technical rules as well as we should have.”
Question: “Did you realize then that 2026 would be a difficult season?”
Sainz: “When you see that the progress we are making is much smaller than that of VCARB, McLaren, and a number of other teams, that is not a good sign, because we started from a less competitive base. So on paper, we should have made bigger gains.”
“That’s when it became clear to me and the team that we were definitely not on the right track and had to reassess everything. The problems were not only the initial delay or the weight of the car but also a design that did not provide enough aerodynamic performance.”
“Our current performance is the result of three different problems: not having the car ready on time, not getting it to minimum weight, and not achieving a sufficiently competitive aerodynamic package.”
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Question: “You just extended your contract with Williams for next season. In its press release, the team described the deal as multi-year. Does that mean you can no longer consider potential offers from top teams?”
Sainz: “The usual process is that before signing a contract, you always assess the overall situation. But when we put everything on the table, another aspect emerged that is very important to me: I have never liked leaving a team when it is going through a difficult phase.”
“It is not in my character to go elsewhere when the situation has gotten worse since I joined the team. When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments, and although the one we are going through now is particularly tough, I am ready to accept it.”
“No one on the team is happy with the current situation, and we are all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But as I said, it is not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”
Question: “Was the Audi possibility that was talked about ever real?”
Sainz: “No, it was just the usual paddock rumors. I can confirm that I never seriously considered going elsewhere this year.”
Sainz: Ground-effect rules never suited me
Question: “There was a lot of discussion this year about drivers and their ability to adapt to a car. Several people in the paddock believe the new rules favor certain driving styles and disadvantage others, while some argue that a Formula 1 driver should be able to adapt to anything. What is your view?”
Sainz: “Let’s start with one thing: It was impressive to see how much the performance balance between teammates changed.”
“Not only between Antonelli and Russell, but also between Hamilton and Leclerc, and that Verstappen is not as dominant over Hadjar. I think that is a lesson for everyone. We have confirmation that the competitive landscape can change when the fundamental concept of a car changes.”
“That is something I have always believed: A car can suit you extremely well or be far from what you ideally want, but sooner or later you have to adapt. It may take some time, but eventually, you have to find a way.”
“I have always thought that many results in Formula 1 were also favored by the combination of being in the right place at the right time. For many years, I have believed that there are cars that simply fit your driving style from the first laps.”
Question: “Have you experienced that yourself?”
Sainz: “It happened when the ground-effect rules came in. From 2022, I was never able to drive in my natural style for four years. I adapted and still achieved some good results, but I remain convinced that the Carlos who drove in the ground-effect era was not the same Carlos who drove the cars in 2021, 2020, or 2019.”
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“I am not saying I was slow with the ground-effect cars. I think I had some very good races during that time, both with Ferrari and Williams. But I always had to adapt to something that did not come naturally to me. I had to work harder, and I think it was the same for other drivers.”
Question: “Have you also experienced the opposite?”
Sainz: “Yes, with McLaren. At the last test of the season in Abu Dhabi [in December 2018], I got into their car for the first time and immediately felt that it drove exactly the way I like.”
“I think during my two years at McLaren you saw the best version of me, although I also really liked Toro Rosso. I liked the Renault a bit less, while I immediately liked the 2021 Ferrari, and I think I always performed very well in that car.”
“Then, with the arrival of the ground-effect rules, it became more difficult, but this year I have started to enjoy driving more again. In the end, I don’t think a team can design a car specifically around your driving style. Sometimes you just get a lucky combination, and when that happens, you feel unbeatable. You feel like it’s your car.”
No deadline for success with Williams
Question: “Have you set yourself a deadline to succeed with Williams?”
Sainz: “No. For me, the most important thing is next year. The goal is to catch up and get out of the situation we are in today. I want to win again as soon as possible.”
“This year we have fallen behind where we expected to be. It is a setback on the journey we have to make to get where we want to go. But there are also many projects behind the scenes at Williams that the media, fans, and public do not see, and they are progressing.”
“That has made me believe that we can soon get back on the right track. Personally, the changes that are happening, these new projects, and the new people coming to the team give me reasons to stay optimistic.”
“I want to stay here and achieve the goals we set ourselves two years ago together. I have confidence in James and in management. We share the same motivation to get back to the front as quickly as possible.”
Question: “You have already experienced a similar journey at McLaren. You were convinced the team would improve, which it did. But then Ferrari came …”
Sainz: “McLaren improved. After the win in Monza with Ricciardo, they went through a difficult phase. I remember the following season. During testing in Bahrain, they had a strange problem with overheating front brakes, and at that time I could not understand how McLaren could be in that situation.”
“But then they found their way, and that confirms that a team’s development path is not always linear. There are always big steps forward, but what counts is the overall trend.”
“I was sure McLaren would win again. I am a big fan of Andrea Stella and the way he leads a team, and also of Zak Brown. I really believed they could get back to the top, which eventually happened. But then Ferrari called me.”
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Question: “You have been in Formula 1 for twelve years, but when you look at Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, you may not even have reached half of their careers yet. How do you see your long-term future?”
Sainz: “When you look at what Fernando and Lewis are still capable of, and also Nico [Hülkenberg], who is a few years older than me, that confirms to me that you can maintain a very high driving level for a long time.”
“I am lucky to be in a sport that allows you to stay at this level for many years. I also have an example in my own family. My father Carlos is not in Formula 1, but at 63 he is still competitive, and two years ago he won the Dakar.”
“If you take care of your physical condition and maintain strong motivation, you can extend your career for a long time. You have to be mentally well prepared because you also have to factor in all the traveling as well as marketing and media commitments. Apart from these aspects, I think you can continue until 45.”
Question: “But do you still have the motivation and desire for that?”
Sainz: “At the moment, yes. I think I will stay in Formula 1 as long as I can. I don’t understand people who say ‘no.’ It’s strange because my theory is that at 40 you haven’t even reached half of your life yet, and I wonder what I will do in the second half.”
“I enjoy playing golf, cycling, playing padel, and challenging myself with business activities. But even if I add all these things together, they still don’t give me the same joy I get from being where I am today.”
“I am aware of how lucky I am to be part of this sport. It is true that 24 races are a lot and that there are many other commitments around them, but when I go to bed at night, I remember that I would not trade all of this for anything in the world.”
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