Former Components 1 driver David Coulthard believes Carlos Sainz will already be evaluating his choices away from Williams, following a turbulent begin to the 2026 season for the Grove outfit.
Sainz made a high-profile change from Ferrari to Williams in 2025 after being changed on the Maranello outfit by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
After taking a look at the entire choices on the desk, Sainz finally dedicated to the long-term venture at Williams as crew principal James Vowles works to return the crew to its former championship-winning glory.
Nevertheless, Williams has endured a troubled begin to the 2026 laws. The crew missed personal testing in Barcelona and arrived at pre-season testing in Bahrain with an obese automotive. Whereas the outfit has made enhancements, it at present sits eighth within the constructors’ championship with 11 factors.
Talking on the Up To Velocity podcast, 13-time grand prix winner Coulthard argued that the truth of going from a crew that was combating for podiums to 1 decrease down the grid is starting to set in for the Spaniard.
“You possibly can see the frustration for the drivers, visibly, I suppose a bit extra for Alex, who has now simply celebrated being essentially the most racy driver for Williams – that most likely does not make sense in English. I’m Scottish in any case. He is finished extra grands prix than some other driver for the Williams crew,” the previous Purple Bull driver stated.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
“So he is embedded in that crew. He is a part of the DNA and has persistently delivered. So, I suppose his frustration degree can be larger than Carlos, who, let’s be frank, he is positively eyeballing the place his subsequent alternative lies as a result of he is gone from Ferrari successful grands prix to Williams being pleased scoring factors.
“He needs to be again there once more. And that journey for Williams goes to take a couple of years. So, I believe we have got to provide credit score for the progress, however after all, it is Williams and that title in itself, we anticipate extra.”
Sainz himself has not hinted that he could possibly be trying elsewhere. The 31-year-old driver lately reaffirmed his dedication to Williams. “The best situation and the perfect path shifting ahead for me has at all times been Williams and has at all times been seeing the progress of this crew and persevering with to assist this crew grow to be a aggressive crew,” Sainz stated.
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