Carlos Sainz Jr. says he’s very happy with his decision to join Williams Racing amid the team’s technical struggles this season.
Sainz sported his trademark intensity in a new interview with Yahoo Finance at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity on Wednesday. He sounded incredibly locked into his training and helping to turn the season around for Williams — not eyeing an exit to Audi as has been rumored.
“I think last year we proved we’re a here-to-win business. We had our most successful Formula One season in the last few years. We finished the year with a few podiums,” Sainz said.
“I am not going to lie, the start of this year has been a bit of a struggle, and we’ve probably hit a bit of a bump in the road in that recovery … But I’m very confident that this is going to help the team to change the necessary things that need to be changed, to be successful again.”
Sainz is a highly respected F1 driver who has driven for five different teams since his 2015 debut with Toro Rosso.
The son of a double World Rally Champion, Sainz initially built his reputation as a ferocious qualifier at Toro Rosso and Renault. His breakthrough came at McLaren, where he scored his first career podiums and consecutive sixth-place championship finishes in 2019 and 2020.
This success earned him a coveted seat at Ferrari in 2021, where he ultimately secured four Grand Prix victories.
Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams arrives in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 25, 2026 in Spielberg, Austria. (Clive Mason/Getty Images) · Clive Mason via Getty Images
Following Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari, Sainz shocked many by signing a multiyear deal with Williams Racing, which was undergoing a turnaround. The deal started in 2025.
Led by Sainz, 31, and new team principal James Vowles, Williams finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship last year, its best result since 2016. The team scored 137 points, its highest total in nearly a decade.
This year has been a different story, however.
Williams struggled out of the gate under Formula One’s all-new 2026 technical rules. The team has battled an overweight car with handling issues.
Williams is currently eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with only 11 points.
Sainz thinks the gap in execution between Williams and F1’s heavyweights, such as Mercedes-Benz, McLaren, and Ferrari, isn’t that wide. He remains committed to bringing a championship to Williams.
“In my ideal world, yes [I retire with Williams]. My ideal world is I build a winning team with Williams, we go and win the first few races. In a few years, we go and win the first world championship for Williams in a long time. And why not stay here winning until it’s time to call it a day? … Now, the world of motorsport keeps changing every day, so I cannot put hand on paper that that will be the case. But in my head, that’s what I’m working towards,” Sainz said.