Williams has no sporting argument to convince Carlos Sainz to renew, and that is why he would be resorting to other kinds of arguments to seduce the Spanish driver. According to AutoSprint, Williams is offering Sainz 30 million euros to renew his contract. A figure typically associated with other teams.
By accepting the offer, Sainz would become the third-highest paid driver in Formula 1, only behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, pending whether Fernando Alonso achieves what he aims for. Not only that, but Carlos Sainz would become Williams’ highest-paid driver in the history of the sport, a legendary team on the world stage.
Williams offers Sainz 30 million to renew
Carlos Sainz backed Williams with hopes pinned on the 2026 technical regulations, in which the Grove outfit would run Mercedes engines and seemed ready to rise again. The reality has been quite different: right now they possess the second-worst car, and there are scant sporting reasons to renew.
So Williams will have to resort to another tactic to keep Sainz: digging into their pockets. According to the Italian outlet AutoSprint, Williams has presented Sainz with a 30-million-euro offer to renew his contract. A proposal completely out of market for a low-end team, which demonstrates Williams’ esteem for Sainz.
In fact, if Sainz accepted the offer he would become the third-highest paid driver in Formula 1, only behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. That means Sainz would even earn more than Lando Norris, the current world champion, or Kimi Antonelli, the current leader of the Formula 1 World Championship and a strong favorite for the title.
Of course, Sainz would also earn more than Alonso, although Alonso’s case comes with an asterisk. Because Alonso also ends his contract with Aston Martin this season, and reports indicate that Alonso has asked for 40 million euros per season to renew, so if Aston Martin agrees, he would surpass Sainz once again.
The point is that Sainz would become the highest-paid driver in Williams’ history. Legendary names such as Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost or Jacques Villeneuve have passed through the Grove-based historic team, but none even approached the amount Sainz could earn, also influenced by the inflation of the times.
Looking around, it doesn’t seem Sainz has many options outside Williams, so accepting the money and renewing his contract could be the best plan.
Images | Williams, Aston Martin
