Carlos Sainz has signed a new contract to stay at the Williams team into 2027 and beyond.

The Spaniard, 31, joined them in 2025 in the hope they would achieve their ambition of being challengers in Formula One again.

With his current deal ending at the end of this season, Sainz has decided to sign “a multi-year contract”, despite a slump in form for a team that won the last of their nine constructors’ championships in 1997.

The announcement follows team-mate Alex Albon’s new one-year deal for 2027.

In a statement Sainz said: “I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.

“We have what it takes to turn this around together. I’m as committed as I was on day one to helping get Williams back to where it belongs, and I look forward to creating more memories with the team.”

Sainz had picked Williams for 2025 over an opportunity to become the focus of the Audi team, which made its debut this year after buying the Swiss Sauber outfit.

But although he was pleasantly surprised by the team’s form in 2025, during which he claimed two podiums, he has been less than impressed by their subsequent regression.

Team principal James Vowles had targeted this season as the time Williams would make a significant step.

The team finished fifth in the constructors’ championship this season, progress that was ahead of schedule, but their new car was late and overweight at the start of the season. The team are currently ninth of the 11 teams at the halfway point of the 2026 season.

Vowles has said the stress of producing an all-new car to the revised 2026 rules had tested the factory beyond its limits. But he believed subsequent changes had put the team in a better place for the future and was delighted with Sainz’s extension.

“Carlos’ talent behind the steering wheel and dedication back at the factory have been extremely valuable for this project – working day in, day out with his engineers to find every millisecond,” added Vowles.

“He is a leader of this team, and I’m thrilled that he can see what’s possible as we continue to rebuild it.

“It’s not just his race craft and speed that stand out but the work he does behind the scenes in the pursuit of high performance. Carlos shares the belief and ambition we have at Williams and is pushing every day to deliver it.”