MOTOR RACING: Carlos Sainz says 'priority' is to stay with Williams long-term

Carlos Sainz acknowledged that he needs to make a decision about his Formula 1 future this year, but said that his priority is to continue the "project" of helping Williams move up the grid.

Sainz joined Williams for the 2025 season on a multi-year contract. The exact terms were not revealed, but the deal is believed to include a clause that would allow the Spaniard to walk away after two seasons if he's not pleased with the team's direction or is offered a seat with a top team.

Williams team principal James Vowles said recently that he has "zero doubt" about moving forward with the driver tandem of Sainz and Alex Albon, and Sainz shared that commitment ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

"Obviously very happy to hear from James," Sainz said. "I think we've made it mutual across one another that the ideal scenario and the ideal path moving forward for me has always been Williams and has always been seeing the progress of this team and continuing to help this team become a competitive team.

"That's what I would love the most and very happy to see that my boss still wants me."

Vowles has stated a goal of competing for a world championship by 2030. However, after Williams finished fifth with 137 points in last year's constructors championship, the team sits in eighth place with just seven points through five races this season.

Six of those have come from Sainz, with Albon earning only one thus far as Williams has struggled to adjust to F1's new regulations.

That has not deterred the 31-year-old Sainz, who signed with Williams in 2024 after losing his seat at Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton.

"I know I obviously need to take a decision this year about my future but at the same time, I made it very clear to Williams and to my management team that my priority is to make this project work," Sainz said. "When I did the commitment a couple of years ago to come here, it was with the commitment of trying to make this work and I wish we can do that.

"Obviously this year we've hit a bit of a big bump that we didn't expect and now all my attention and focus is to try and get this team out of the bump as soon as possible."

Sainz added that when he joined Williams he knew that winning races was unlikely until at least 2028. However, he sees the following season as a realistic goal for regularly competing for podiums and 2030 as the year to challenge for a championship.

"I'm committed to try and help the team get out of this bump and do the best we can to recover," Sainz said. "I just want to be winning in F1, that's my main message to my management and at the same time help Williams get back to the top."

-Field Level Media/Reuters