Carlos Sainz has been urged by Guenther Steiner to keep himself available for a potential move away from Williams following a rough start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
After James Vowles chose to shift Williams’ focus toward the 2026 regulations, sacrificing progress in the second half of 2025, Sainz had good reason to feel optimistic. He’d finished that season strongly too, with two podiums boosting confidence around the decision.
But things haven’t gone according to plan. Williams endured a tough pre-season, and so far, they’ve managed just two points, both coming from Sainz at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The FW46’s weight issues are costing him about a second per lap. The excitement built up at Grove during their development focus last year hasn’t translated into performance. That has left many wondering whether Sainz is now questioning his move.
Sainz hasn’t found much joy at Williams this season, with the team falling behind under the new regulations. Speaking to SoyMotor, former Haas boss Steiner said Sainz should focus on positioning himself for a move to a bigger team and return to competing at the front.
“He had a good season last year, was on the podium a few times in a Williams, which is an achievement,” he said. “But obviously, being let go by Ferrari, that didn’t go down well with him because he did a good job there, he won races.”
Steiner added: “But again, he needs to put himself in a position that, should one of the big teams need a good driver again, he’s there and ready.”
Williams were showing signs of progress last year but have fallen back under 2026’s new regulations. While Sainz can try to push things forward internally, most major changes will be up to James Vowles and his leadership.
Sainz’s contract runs out in 2026, though there is an option to extend through the 2027 and 2028 seasons. If things don’t pick up at Williams, he might start thinking about a move elsewhere.
There’s been plenty of speculation around Max Verstappen’s future, and if he were to leave Red Bull, that could open a spot for Sainz to return to their setup.
Red Bull appear more interested in bringing back Sainz than pursuing Charles Leclerc, despite previous contact with Leclerc in 2025. That move could also put him in a leadership role alongside Isack Hadjar.
David Croft has also linked Sainz with Fernando Alonso’s seat at Aston Martin, but with the team struggling even more than Williams this season, it doesn’t look like an immediate improvement on his current situation.
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