Sainz interview: “I always believed in McLaren… but then Ferrari called”

Carlos Sainz gives a candid assessment of Williams’ difficult 2026 season, identifying delays, weight and aerodynamics as the three main weaknesses of the project.

But his contract extension confirms his faith in the team: “It’s not in my nature to leave when things get tough.” And he has no doubts about his long-term future: “At 40, you’re not even halfway through your life. I’ll stay in F1 for as long as I can.”

As well as assessing his time at Williams so far and what he hopes is to come, the Spaniard also reflects on his F1 career to date and why he believed McLaren would return to the top even if he joined Ferrari during its period of transformation.

How is Carlos Sainz doing?

Carlos Sainz: “I’m doing well because I’m driving well. On a personal level, I know I’m doing everything I can to help the team, and I also believe the level of performance I’m delivering is very good.”

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 approach from a top team if one came along. Where do things stand today?

CS: “My first year with Williams was a positive surprise. I think we made a huge step forward last season. I didn’t expect to be on the podium with this team as early as 2025, and we had a very strong season.

“Obviously, that progress raised expectations for 2026. I thought we would be much closer to where we wanted to be. Instead, those higher expectations, combined with the problems we’ve had with the car, have led to some disappointment.

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

“I’m not revealing any secrets when I say that I, James [Vowles] and the whole team are aware that we haven’t achieved the targets we set ourselves. The only thing we need to do now is understand why, learn from our mistakes and find the right path for next year.”

The car arrived very late for pre-season testing. Was that the first warning sign?

CS: “The full picture didn’t emerge straight away because, at the start of the season, I thought the problems were mostly related to the delays we had in completing the project and to the weight of the car.

“I thought: we’ll start off slower, but we’ll catch up through development, just as we did in 2025. The situation changed when we brought our upgrades to the track and saw that our rivals were improving more than we were. That was when I realised we weren’t on the right path and that we probably hadn’t interpreted the new technical regulations as well as we should have.”

Was that when you realised 2026 was going to be a difficult season?

CS: “When you see that the steps forward we are making are much smaller than those being made by VCARB, McLaren and a good number of the other teams, it’s not a good sign, because we were starting from a less competitive baseline, so on paper we should have been making bigger gains.

“That was when I realised, together with the team, that we clearly weren’t on the right path and that we needed to reassess everything.

“The problems weren’t just related to the initial delay or the weight of the car, but also to a design that wasn’t delivering enough aerodynamic performance. Our current performance is the result of three different issues: not having the car ready on time, not getting it down to the minimum weight, and not achieving a sufficiently competitive aerodynamic package.”

Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images

You’ve just renewed your contract with Williams for next season as well. 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?

CS: “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’ve never liked leaving a team when it’s going through a difficult period.

“It’s not in my character to go somewhere else if the situation has become worse since I joined the team. When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments and, even though the one we’re going through now is particularly tough, I’m ready to accept it.

“Nobody in the team is happy with the current situation, and we’re all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But, as I said, it’s not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”

Was the Audi possibility that was talked about ever real?

CS: “No, it was just the usual paddock rumours. I can confirm that this year I never seriously considered going anywhere else.”

There has been a lot of discussion this year about drivers and their ability to adapt to a car. Several people in the paddock believe the new regulations favour certain driving styles and penalise others, while some argue that a Formula 1 driver should be able to adapt to anything. What’s your view?

CS: “Let’s start with one thing: it’s been impressive to see how much the performance balance between team-mates has changed. Not only between Antonelli and Russell, but also between Hamilton and Leclerc, and with Verstappen not being as dominant over Hadjar.

“I think it’s a lesson for everyone. We’ve had confirmation that when the fundamental concept of a car changes, the competitive picture can change as well.

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“It’s something I’ve always believed: a car can suit you extremely well or it can be far from what you would ideally want, but sooner or later you have to adapt. It might take some time, but eventually you have to find a way.

“I’ve always thought that many results in Formula 1 have also been helped by the combination of being in the right place at the right time. For many years I’ve believed there are cars that simply suit your driving style from the very first laps.”

Have you experienced that yourself?

CS: “It happened when the ground-effect regulations came in. From 2022 onwards, for four years, I was never able to drive in my natural style. I adapted and still managed to achieve some good results, but I remain convinced that the Carlos who drove during the ground-effect era wasn’t the same Carlos who drove the 2021, 2020 or 2019 cars.

“I’m not saying I was slow with the ground-effect cars. I think I had some very good races during that period, both with Ferrari and Williams, but I always had to adapt to something that didn’t come as naturally to me. I had to work harder at it, and I think it was the same for other drivers too.”

Have you also experienced the opposite situation?

CS: “Yes, with McLaren. At the final test of the season in Abu Dhabi [December 2018], I got into their car for the first time and immediately felt that it drove in a way that was exactly in line with what I liked.

“I think during my two years with McLaren you saw the best version of me, although I also really liked the Toro Rosso. I liked the Renault a little 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 regulations, things became more difficult, but this year I’ve started enjoying the 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 fortunate combination, and when that happens you feel unbeatable. You have the feeling that it’s your car.”

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Have you set yourself a deadline for achieving success with Williams?

CS: “No. For me, the most important thing is next year. The target is to make up ground and get out of the situation we’re in today. I want to get back to winning as soon as possible.

“This year we’ve fallen behind where we expected to be. It’s a setback on the journey we need to make to get where we want to be.

“But there are also a lot of projects going on behind the scenes at Williams that the media, the fans and the public don’t see, and they are moving forward. That has made me believe that we can soon start moving back in the right direction.

“Personally, the changes that are taking place, these new projects and the new people joining the team give me reasons to remain optimistic. I want to stay here and achieve together the targets we set ourselves two years ago.

“I have confidence in James and in the management. We share the same motivation to get back to the front as quickly as possible.”

You had already experienced a similar journey at McLaren. You were convinced the team would improve, which it eventually did, but then Ferrari came calling...

CS: “McLaren did improve. After the win at Monza with Ricciardo [in 2021], they went through a difficult period.

“I remember the following season, during testing in Bahrain, they had a strange issue with the front brakes overheating, and at the time I couldn’t understand how McLaren could be in that situation.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“But then they found their way, and that confirms that a team’s development trajectory is not always linear. There are always big steps forward, but what matters is the overall trend.

“I was certain McLaren would win again. I’m a big fan of Andrea Stella and the way he leads a team, and also of Zak Brown. I genuinely believed they could get back to the top, which is what eventually happened.

“But then Ferrari called me.”

You’ve been in Formula 1 for 12 years, but looking at Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, you might not even have reached the halfway point of your career yet. How do you see your long-term future?

CS: “Looking at what Fernando and Lewis are still capable of doing, and also Nico, who is a few years older than me, it confirms to me that you can maintain a very high level of driving for a long time.

“I’m fortunate to be in a sport that allows you to remain at this level for many years. I also have an example in my own family... My father Carlos isn’t in Formula 1, but at 63 he’s still competitive, and two years ago he won the Dakar.

“If you look after your physical condition and maintain strong motivation, you can extend your career for a long time.

“You need to be in a good place mentally, because you also have to factor in all the travelling, as well as the marketing and media commitments. Putting those aspects aside, I think you can keep going until you’re 45.”

Photo by: Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images

But do you still have the motivation and desire to compete?

CS: “Right now, yes. I think I’ll stay in Formula 1 for as long as I can. I don’t understand people who say ‘no’.

“It’s strange, because my theory is that at 40 you’re not even halfway through your life, and I ask myself what I’m going to do in the second half of it.

“I enjoy playing golf, cycling, playing padel and challenging myself with business activities, but even if I put all of those things together, they still don’t give me the same enjoyment I get from being where I am today.

“I’m aware of how fortunate I am to be part of this sport. It’s 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 remind myself that I wouldn’t trade all of this for anything in the world.”