Carlos Sainz once again revealed that a decision regarding his Formula 1 future will be pondered during the summer break.
The Williams team has suffered a tough 2026 season thus far. While it appeared to be going in the right direction last year with the team taking solid points and even two surprising podiums, this year is a different story.
Instead of continuing to move forward, the team has fallen significantly behind. Now, Williams has been more of a backmarker than a midfield contender all season.
Sainz’s impressive and largely consistent performance last year prompted many to believe the switch from Ferrari to Williams could have been the correct move. However, with the new 2026 regulations now in effect, the team has faced an uphill battle.
Sainz undecided on a final decision
As his contract was originally a two-year deal with an option to extend, it will expire in 2026 unless he and the team decide to extend it. The Spaniard was asked by the media when he would make a decision about his future and said: “I honestly don’t know.
“I cannot give you a date, but I imagine, as I always said, that I was going to wait until the summer to sit down with my team and think about this.
“Discuss with them, with James [Vowles] and everyone, the future of the team and my future in it.”
It is understandable that Sainz wants to take his time before coming to a final conclusion about his future. When comparing Williams’ 2025 stint to 2026, the downgrade has been massive.
Before the summer break in 2025, Sainz had already secured 16 points. This season, he heads into the summer break with only 6 points to his name. Granted, the 2026 season has had two fewer race weekends, as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled.
Yet the difference can be understood not solely in terms of points but also in terms of performance. Last season, the Spaniard was actively fighting for points and Q3 appearances. Now, he is lucky if he finishes in the midfield. While the team was not free from suffering last season, the difference in performance is clear.
“I expect that during the summer we will start to take a decision and start to see a bit more of the situation, but the exact timing, I don’t know,” he added.
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