Carlos Sainz has been told to leave Williams after publicly voicing his frustration over the team's lack of progress. A poll of more than 1,100 Express Sport readers saw almost two-thirds give their opinion that the Spaniard would be better off trying to start anew elsewhere than sticking with the Williams project.
Background and 2025 Success
Back in 2024, Sainz rejected an offer from Audi and a late swoop from Alpine to choose Williams as his new project after months mulling his future, after he was told by Ferrari that he was going to lose his seat to Lewis Hamilton. And, despite a slow start, last year it seemed like the correct choice.
Williams finished 2025 as comfortably the best team in the midfield and, while Alex Albon outscored his team-mate by nine points, Sainz was the one who secured both the team's podiums. Heading into the new regulation period this year, they looked the best-placed team to launch a challenge to the top teams.
2026 Struggles and Frustration
But they missed development targets over the winter, failing to get the car ready for the pre-season Barcelona shakedown and arriving in Bahrain testing with the FW48 very overweight. Team principal James Vowles said early in the season that he felt the team had all the answers, but upgrades in the months since had not yielded the performance jumps they hoped for.
Williams scored just 11 points in the first half of the season and both their drivers have been visibly and audibly frustrated by the situation. Sainz has been the most vocal, admitting that he will discuss the situation with Vowles and his management team over this summer break and, before the end of the season, will make a decision over "the future of the team and my future in it".
Reader Poll Results
We asked our readers who they think Sainz should race for in 2027: should he remain with Williams, or join another F1 project? In total, 1,173 responded and 767 of those – 65.39 percent – said they think it is time for the four-time F1 race winner to move on. More than half of those, 357 people, think Audi is the ideal destination for Sainz.
However, though it is understood some conversations have taken place between the driver's camp and the team formerly known as Sauber, little progress was made and Audi are believed to be happy to continue with their current partnership of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto in 2027.
Aston Martin was named as the ideal destination for Sainz, should Fernando Alonso choose to retire, while only 87 thought Alpine would be the right choice and 91 people chose 'other'. In total, 406 people, just over one-third of respondents, said Sainz should stick with the Williams project.
Likely Outcome
Due to lack of options elsewhere, though, that is seen as being the most likely outcome. That will only change if two-time world champion Alonso, now 45 years old, does decide that this is his last F1 season, or if Alpine choose to drop Franco Colapinto to accommodate Sainz.
