Williams F1 Team has retained its drivers' lineup for the 2027 season, the British team confirmed on Wednesday.
Carlos Sainz agreed to a multi-year contract extension from 2027 onwards. The announcement came a day after Williams confirmed Alex Albon had been re-signed for a sixth consecutive Formula 1 season.
"I’m thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team family!" the Spanish driver asserted.
"I truly believe in the people who 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."
The statement of intent from both parties is clear, as the team founded by Sir Frank Williams in 1977 continues its pursuit to rejoin a successful path, aiming to battle at the front of the grid again.
"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 Jr. added.
Williams' rich heritage finds James Vowles as Team Principal, only the third in the team's history.
With more than two decades of experience in F1, his leadership translated into the impressive results achieved last season.
Having built the foundations at the helm in 2023, the highly regarded motorsport engineer guided the squad into its best campaign in nearly a decade.
In 2025, the Grove-based team finished fifth in the constructors' overall standings with 137 points.
As for the drivers, the duo Albon and Sainz completed a solid run, sitting 8th and 9th in the drivers' standings, respectively.
"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 racecraft and speed that stand out, but the work he does behind the scenes in the pursuit of high performance," Vowles said about the four-time Grand Prix winner.
"Carlos shares the belief and ambition we have at Atlassian Williams F1 Team and is pushing every day to deliver it. Along with Alex, I truly believe we have one of the strongest lineups on the grid, and a team capable of fighting for every ounce of performance together."
The outfit has struggled through the first half of a season in which the next-gen hybrid powertrain has been introduced, marking a new era in the sport with new rules in place.
London-born driver Albon joined Williams at the end of 2022 and quickly stood out due to his driving style and skills, becoming the driver with the most race starts for the outfit.
“Since joining the Williams F1 Team in 2022, the transformation this team has made is difficult to put into words," the Thai-British driver outlined. "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.”
Together, Albon and Sainz provide a stable base for the team that next season will celebrate its 50th anniversary with nine constructors’ world championships and seven drivers' championships — 1980 and 1997 — under its name.