Carlos Sainz Jr. News, Rumors & Driver Updates

Struggles in home race Sainz was forced to retire from the Spanish Grand Prix F1 race at the Madring after 43 laps on Sunday.

Impact Sainz qualified at the same pace as teammate Alex Albon, but he received a penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas during a qualifying lap. He started 20th on the grid as a result, giving him little chance to tally points. Sainz then made contact with Fernando Alonso around Lap 43, forcing his retirement. While he didn't have the chance for points due to the poor pace of his Williams, Sainz continues to make uncharacteristic mistakes.

3 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Qualifying Infringement Sainz has been handed a grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix after a Qualifying infringement, Formula1.com reports.

Impact The Williams veteran was determined to have impeded Valtteri Bottas during the final minutes of Q1 Saturday at the Madring Circuit. The incident occurred in turn 7 and it was found that Sainz unnecessarily impeded the Cadillac driver. Sainz will lose his P17 qualifying spot as a result and face a tougher grand prix Sunday in Madrid.

SEPTEMBER 12 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to solid form Sainz finished 13th in the Italian Grand Prix F1 race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday.

Impact Sainz had been uncharacteristically mistake-prone in his last two races, causing needless collisions. However, he had a solid showing in Italy by reaching Q2 in qualifying, while turning in a best lap nearly a second faster than teammate Alex Albon. Sainz then made the most of his race, pitting under an early virtual safety car to maintain track position to help him log his best finish since the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

SEPTEMBER 9 • ROTOWIRE

Sainz expects 'fun' but 'intense' new track as Spanish GP returns to Madrid to sold-out crowd

Carlos Sainz expects the hybrid Madring track that will debut this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix to be one of the toughest of the season

SEPTEMBER 9 • Associated Press

Another collision Sainz finished 16th in the Dutch Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday.

Impact The Williams remained off pace from the midfield and was doomed to run in the back of the field regardless of driver performance. Sainz had a fine performance for much of the weekend given that context, but he ran into teammate Alex Albon late in the race while battling for a relatively meaningless position. That marked the second consecutive race that Sainz initiated contact and was penalized.

AUGUST 25 • ROTOWIRE

F1 returns from break with Dutch GP and NASCAR heads to the Magic Mile

Joey Logano prevailed at Richmond after charging to the front late, while Formula 1 resumes its season following the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix

AUGUST 18 • Associated Press

Late pit strategy lifts Ty Gibbs to NASCAR victory and IndyCar heads to the streets of Toronto

Ty Gibbs used a late two-tire call to win at Iowa, while Carson Kvapil prevailed in double overtime for his second straight O’Reilly Series victory

AUGUST 11 • Associated Press

Draws penalty in clash with Piastri Sainz finished 18th in the Hungarian Grand Prix F1 race at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

Impact Sainz had a rare weekend where Alex Albon outperformed him, and he suffered one of his worst finishes of the season. His most notable moment was a collision with Oscar Piastri in a blue-flag situation, effectively ending Piastri's day and also harming his own with a penalty. Sainz regularly gets the most out of the Williams, but he isn't likely to contend for points regularly.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Suffers from grid penalty Sainz finished 16th at the Belgian Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.

Impact Sainz did well to reach Q2, narrowly beating teammate Alex Albon. However, he started 19th on the grid after a penalty accrued during the British Grand Prix was imposed. That, combined with the subpar pace of the Williams, doomed Sainz to the back of the midfield and prevented him from contending for points. He has now gone five races without recording a point.

JULY 23 • ROTOWIRE

Williams remains uncompetitive Sainz finished 17th in the British Grand Prix F1 race at Silverstone Circuit on Sunday.

Impact Sainz has been the fastest Williams driver for most of the season, and that remained true at Silverstone. He out-qualified Alex Albon for both the sprint and the grand prix, though he ultimately was uncompetitive in both races. Sainz has now gone four straight races without scoring points, and the Williams remains well off the pace of the rest of the midfield.

JULY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Retires from Austrian GP Sainz retired from the Austrian Grand Prix F1 race at Red Bull Ring after 23 laps on Sunday.

Impact It was a mixed weekend for Sainz, as he got the better of teammate Alex Albon and would have finished ahead in the race if not for his retirement. However, the Williams remains non-competitive and leaves him without a true chance of contending for points. Sainz was ultimately forced to retire with an electrical issue and has no points in the last three race weekends.

JULY 1 • ROTOWIRE

Finishes 12th in Barcelona Sainz finished 12th in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday.

Impact The Williams had shown improved pace over the last few races, but it was mired among the back end of the midfield throughout the weekend. Sainz did a solid job given that context, as he reached Q2 for the fifth straight race and out-praced his teammate by roughly six-tenths of a second. Sainz looks to be comfortably the more competitive Williams driver at this point in the season, but the car has often let him down.

JUNE 18 • ROTOWIRE

Late crash dooms weekend Sainz finished 16th in the Monaco Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit de Monaco on Sunday.

Impact Sainz was out-qualified by Alex Albon for only the second time this season, but he was still trending toward a points finish after turning in a steady race. While he was able to take advantage of the mistakes and misfortunes of other drivers around him, Sainz ultimately slipped down the pack after a collision with Nico Hulkenberg. His two-race point streak snapped, though Sainz has found steadier form overall as the Williams' pace has improved.

JUNE 10 • ROTOWIRE

Maintains pace Sainz finished ninth in the Canadian Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Sunday.

Impact Sainz didn't tally points in the sprint but reached SQ3 and finished 10th, so he had a solid all-around weekend. His race didn't get off to such a great start, as he qualified 15th and started the grand prix on intermediate tires -- an incorrect choice. However, he didn't require an additional stop after switching to slicks on Lap 2, and he managed to work his way through the field to record a pair of points for the third time in the last four races.

MAY 28 • ROTOWIRE

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

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Sainz expects 'fun' but 'intense' new track as Spanish GP returns to Madrid to sold-out crowd

F1 returns from break with Dutch GP and NASCAR heads to the Magic Mile

Late pit strategy lifts Ty Gibbs to NASCAR victory and IndyCar heads to the streets of Toronto

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