Carlos Sainz may be having second thoughts about his move to Williams—and all signs point toward a potential return to McLaren.

The Spanish driver left Ferrari at the end of 2024 to join Williams, a team in the midst of a rebuilding phase. After a rocky start at Grove, Sainz found some momentum late in the 2025 season, securing podium finishes in Baku and Qatar. With Williams prioritizing the 2026 regulations, there was cautious optimism heading into the new year.

But 2026 has been a different story. The team missed crucial pre-season testing and was forced to delay key upgrades. So far, Sainz has scored four of Williams' five points this season, and he hasn't been shy about voicing his frustration. During Sprint qualifying in Miami, he described the team as being "three steps behind." While they managed their first double points finish of the season with P9 and P10, it did little to ease the tension.

Fortunately for Sainz, his contract includes an exit clause that could allow him to explore other opportunities if results don't improve. And it seems he's already looking.

Several teams have Sainz on their radar, with many viewing him as the top candidate to replace Max Verstappen if the Dutchman retires after this season. Audi, who showed interest in Sainz when he first left Ferrari, are reportedly still monitoring his situation. But it's McLaren that appears to be capturing most of his attention.

With Oscar Piastri linked to a potential move to Red Bull, a seat could soon open up at McLaren—a team where Sainz spent two successful seasons from 2019 to 2020. Speaking on UOL Esporte via YouTube, journalist Julianne Cerasoli shared insight into Sainz's mindset:

"There's also a guy who's keeping a very close eye on all this mess, and that's Carlos Sainz, who realized that he made a pretty bad decision and he's going to try to get back into the top teams. He'd be keeping an eye on the seat at McLaren, because he has a good relationship there, he's very well respected there, he had a good stint there—maybe he should never have left."

For fans of the sport, this is a developing story worth watching. Could Sainz find his way back to papaya orange? If the pieces fall into place, a McLaren reunion might just be the comeback story of 2026.