Williams F1 confirms 2027 driver lineup
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will continue to form Williams’ F1 driver lineup for 2027, after both were secured to new contracts.
It was confirmed today that Spanish driver Sainz had signed a new multi-year contract with Williams, which the British team said “confirm(ed) his trust in the team’s comeback project”.
The four-time race winner joined Williams in 2025, and despite a difficult spell so far, he will remain with the team as it aims to compete at the front of the grid.
Carlos Sainz said: “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.”
Albon signs new one year deal
Yesterday, it was teammate Alex Albon who was putting pen to paper on a new deal which sees him continue with Williams until the end of 2027. The 30 year old joined Williams in 2022, and has since etched his name into the record books by becoming the driver with the most race starts for the team in its history. Albon’s 96th race start saw him overtake Nigel Mansell’s long-standing record, before he went on to make his 100th start for Williams in Budapest.
The Thai-British driver impressed last season as a string of fifth place finishes helped him secure 73 points and a P8 finish in the World Drivers’ Championship.
Alex Albon said: “One tough year doesn’t tell the full picture, and it only gives me more motivation to keep building and pushing together with the factory and our fans to achieve great things. Our story is not over yet, so my full focus now is on doing whatever it takes to get us back up the grid.”
Williams gears up for 50th anniversary year after tough 2026 season so far
The 2025 season saw both drivers combine to deliver Williams’ best season since 2016, with the highlight coming in the form of a P3 finish for Sainz at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. He followed this with Sprint podiums in Austin and Qatar, as the British team aimed to carry the encouraging end of season form into 2026. Unfortunately, this season has not proven as fruitful, with Williams currently ninth with 11 points after 11 rounds. Drivers Sainz and Albon sit in 15th and 16th places, respectively.
Despite this, Williams has chosen to stick with the experienced pair, who have notched up 370 Grand Prix starts, over 1,600 points and 31 podiums between them.
Next year’s season will see Williams celebrate its 50th anniversary in Formula One. The half century period has seen Williams win 114 races and nine World Constructors’ Championships.
Formula One returns this weekend after a four-week absence for the Dutch Grand Prix. It will be the final race in the Netherlands for the time being, as it exits the calendar from 2027 onwards.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Williams F1