Carlos Sainz Jr. News, Rumors & Driver Updates

Picks up two more points Sainz finished ninth in the Miami Grand Prix F1 race at Miami International Autodrome on Sunday.

Impact Williams was arguably the most disappointing team to begin the new regulation set, but the team brought significant upgrades to Miami. The weekend didn't start particularly smoothly, as Sainz was a non-factor in the sprint. He also began the race in 13th after being knocked out in Q2. However, Sainz benefited from two retirements ahead of him in the midfield to tally his first points of the season. He also seemed to have renewed belief in his car, which should have him competitive once again in Canada.

MAY 6 • ROTOWIRE

Remains off pace Sainz finished 15th in the Japanese Grand Prix F1 race at Suzuka Circuit on Sunday.

Impact The Williams remained well off the pace of the competitive midfield teams, leaving Sainz out of contention for points. The lone positive was that he continued to outperform teammate Alex Albon and reached Q2 for the first time this season. It hasn't been the start to the year that Sainz or Williams were looking for, though the long layoff before the Miami Grand Prix could provide the team with time to make needed adjustments.

MARCH 31 • ROTOWIRE

Remarkable recovery in China Sainz finished ninth in the Chinese Grand Prix F1 race at Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday.

Impact The Williams remains buried among the midfield teams in terms of pace, but Sainz got a great result in China. He rose from his 17th-place starting position in part due to attrition -- four drivers who qualified ahead of him were forced to retire -- but he also managed his tires very well and only needed one stop to cross the finish line. Sainz isn't likely to contend for points regularly due to his car, but he showed the ability to be opportunistic in Sunday's race.

MARCH 17 • ROTOWIRE

Limited running in Australia Sainz finished 15th in the Australian Grand Prix F1 race at Albert Park Circuit on Sunday.

Impact Williams began the season in disappointing form, and Sainz was on the receiving end of most of the bad luck. He was unable to run in FP2 and missed all but one lap in FP3, and things only got worse when the team couldn't correct the problem in time for qualifying. Sainz's race was thus doomed before it began to mark a disappointing start to the season.

MARCH 11 • ROTOWIRE

No points to close 2025 Sainz Jr. finished 13th in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 race at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.

Impact Sainz got the better of his teammate Alex Albon throughout the weekend, but his Williams didn't have the pace to compete for points. Sainz reached Q2 and started 12th, but he was unable to make up ground from there. His pace was inconsistent throughout his first season at Williams, primarily due to the machinery, but Sainz finished on the podium twice to tally 64 total points -- nine fewer than Albon.

DECEMBER 11, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Second Podium of Season Sainz finished third the Qatar Grand Prix Formula 1 race at the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday.

Impact The Williams Racing veteran would start seventh on the grid and gain a couple spots on the opening lap with overtakes of both George Russell and Isack Hadjar. Sainz would pit during the early safety car and come out of the pits one spot better in P4. He'd hold that position during a long second stint and second pit stop. Sainz would move into P3 after Lando Norris' second pit stop and battle home from there down the stretch. Norris would challenge him in the closing laps, but Sainz would hold tight to the finish to grab his second podium of the season.

NOVEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Strong showing in Vegas Sainz finished fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 race at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on Saturday.

Impact Sainz put himself in a great position by qualifying third in rainy conditions on Friday night. In clearer conditions, he unsurprisingly lost positions to drivers in superior cars, but he still managed to finish seventh on the road. With both McLarens later disqualified, Sainz was promoted to his second-best finish of the year and his first top ten in his last four grand prix.

NOVEMBER 26, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Early damage ruins Brazilian GP Sainz finished 13th at the Brazilian Grand Prix F1 race at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on Sunday.

Impact The Williams had underwhelming pace relative to the rest of the midfield cars, though Sainz was outperformed by Alex Albon for most of the weekend. Sainz struggled to get his tires up to temperature in both qualifying sessions, and he then lost pace during the grand prix after contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap. That doomed him to a weekend without points, and he has now gone three grand prix without finishing inside the top ten.

NOVEMBER 12, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Mistake-filled Mexico GP Sainz retired from the Mexico City Grand Prix F1 race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday.

Impact Sainz had a very inconsistent weekend, filled with both highs and lows. He entered the weekend with a five-place grid penalty but still began the race in the midfield after turning in the seventh-fastest lap time in qualifying. However, things quickly unraveled Sunday, as he suffered damage to his car on a self-inflicted collision on Lap 1 before accruing two speeding penalties on pit lane. That pushed Sainz way down the field before he ultimately retired from the race after 67 laps.

OCTOBER 29, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

US Grand Prix ends early Sainz was forced to retire after five laps of the United States Grand Prix F1 race on Sunday.

Impact Sainz reached Q3 for the third time in the last five grand prix and looked to be in a strong position for points. However, he crashed into Kimi Antonelli early in the race to end his day. Sainz will also have a five-place grid penalty to start the Mexican Grand Prix.

OCTOBER 22, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Chase Briscoe secures first-ever Championship 4 slot and NASCAR heads to Martinsville

Chase Briscoe clinched his first-ever Championship 4 berth after a dramatic last-lap pass at Talladega as the NASCAR Cup Series turns to Martinsville

OCTOBER 21, 2025 • Associated Press

Denny Hamlin punches ticket to NASCAR's Championship 4 and F1 rolls into COTA

Denny Hamlin clinched the first berth in NASCAR’s Championship 4 with his 60th career victory, passing Chase Briscoe late at Las Vegas

OCTOBER 14, 2025 • Associated Press

Nabs a point in Singapore Sainz finished 10th in the Singapore Grand Prix F1 race at Marina Bay Circuit on Sunday.

Impact Sainz's weekend appeared to be doomed after his qualifying session was thrown out in its entirety due to a DRS technical breach. He ran a unique strategy on race day by making his initial pit stop 25 laps after the rest of the field. That not only bought him some track position but also offset his new set of tires so he could move back through the field. The end result was a 10th-place finish, his second straight grand prix collecting points.

OCTOBER 8, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

First Podium with Williams Sainz Jr. finished third in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Formula 1 race at the Baku City Circuit on Sunday afternoon.

Impact The veteran driver started on the outside pole and ran a smart, conservative race. Sainz would fall under pressure from George Russell before pitting for his lone stop at lap 27. The Williams driver would then nurse those tyres for the next 24 laps while racing his way from P6 back onto the podium. Sainz could only close to within 5-seconds of second-place Russell down the stretch. Still, he would grab his first podium finish of the season and first with his new team at Williams Racing.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Joe Gibbs Racing sweeps first round and NASCAR Cup heads to New Hampshire for Round of 12

Christopher Bell captured a late Bristol win, capping off a first-round sweep for Joe Gibbs Racing as the Cup Series heads to New Hampshire for the Round of 12

SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 • Associated Press

No points in Italian GP Sainz finished 11th in the Italian Grand Prix F1 race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday.

Impact Sainz narrowly out-paced Williams' teammate Alex Albon in qualifying to line up 13th on the grid. However, he was betrayed by race strategy, as he started the grand prix on the medium tire, forcing him to run a shorter first stint and putting him back into traffic after his pit stop. Sainz then had a collision with Oliver Bearman after attempting an ill-advised pass on an outside line. That undid any chance for Sainz to score points.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Clashes with Lawson Sainz finished 13th in the Dutch Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday.

Impact Sainz looked to be the faster Williams driver at the start of the weekend and reached Q3 for the first time since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He held that position through the first stint of the race, though things unraveled when he clashed with Liam Lawson upon re-entering from the pits. Sainz suffered a flat tire and was also given a 10-second penalty, the latter a point he contested. That unraveled his race, and he was unable to recover and has now gone five races without points.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Lacks pace in Hungary Sainz finished 14th in the Hungarian Grand Prix F1 race at Hungaroring on Sunday.

Impact Sainz looked to be the more comfortable of the two Williams drivers, easily outpacing Alex Albon in qualifying. He still wasn't able to reach Q3 and never truly challenged for a top-10 finish. Sainz has now gone four races without tallying points as Williams has lost pace relative to the rest of the midfield teams.

AUGUST 4, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Mixed results in Belgium Sainz finished 18th in the Belgian Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.

Impact Sainz experienced plenty of highs and lows across the weekend, as he qualified sixth for the sprint and finished in the same position. However, he was then knocked out in Q2 for race qualifiyng and stood no chance for points after starting on pit lane due to adjustments made to the car. That doomed Sainz's race day, but he did manage to score points for the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix.

JULY 31, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Bad luck continues Sainz finished 12th at the British Grand Prix F1 race at Silverstone Circuit on Sunday.

Impact Sainz was the faster Williams throughout the weekend, but contact with former teammate Charles Leclerc with about 10 laps remaining dropped him down the field after both went off track. Despite a difficult close to the grand prix, there were plenty of positive takeaways as he started inside the top 10 for the first time since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and remained in the range for points for the majority of the race. Nevertheless, Sainz has not finished inside the top in three of the last four races.

JULY 7, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Bad luck at Red Bull Ring Sainz was forced to retire before the start of the Austrian Grand Prix F1 race at Red Bull Ring on Sunday.

Impact Sainz was unhappy with his Williams throughout the weekend, as he complained of floor damage and brake problems that resulted in a Q1 exit during qualifying. While he was forced to start in P19 as a result, the issue appeared to be behind him. However, he was unable to get going on the formation lap, and once he was able to progress around the Red Bull Ring, his brakes caught on fire and forced his weekend to an early conclusion. This was Sainz's third retirement of the season, but his first since the Bahrain Grand Prix.

JUNE 29, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Carlos Sainz Catches Fire in Pit Lane After Forcing Austrian GP Start Abort Carlos Sainz’s Williams burst into flames in the pit lane moments after causing the Austrian GP start to be aborted.

JUNE 29, 2025 • THESTATE.COM

Carlos Sainz Sr. confirms he's not running to lead auto racing governing body

Carlos Sainz Sr. has confirmed he won’t run for the presidency of the FIA — the governing body for auto racing series like Formula 1

JUNE 25, 2025 • Associated Press

Rebounds after unlucky qualfiying Sainz finished 10th in the Canadian Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Sunday.

Impact Sainz lamented that his weekend was over after Isack Hadar impeded him on a hot lap in Q1. He started 16th on the grid as a result, although Williams employed its familiar strategy of running a long opening stint on hard tires. That helped Sainz gain track position and put him in a position to benefit from the retirement of Lando Norris. Sainz hasn't finished higher than eighth this season but now has points in five of his last six grand prix.

JUNE 16, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Points streak ends in home race Sainz finished 14th in the Spanish Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday.

Impact Sainz had a home race to forget. He struggled in qualifying and was knocked out in Q1, which he partially blamed on a mis-timed final run caused by Franco Colapinto. He then suffered a broken wing at the start of the race, pushing him even further down the field and into dirty air. Sainz managed to make up a few positions, but he nevertheless failed to record points for the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix.

JUNE 2, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

CARLOS SAINZ JR. NEWS

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Chase Briscoe secures first-ever Championship 4 slot and NASCAR heads to Martinsville

Denny Hamlin punches ticket to NASCAR's Championship 4 and F1 rolls into COTA

Joe Gibbs Racing sweeps first round and NASCAR Cup heads to New Hampshire for Round of 12

Carlos Sainz Sr. confirms he's not running to lead auto racing governing body