Carlos Sainz admits Williams is ‘concerned’ about recent reliability woes

Carlos Sainz has admitted that Williams is “concerned” by a spate of reliability issues that has threatened its status as Formula 1’s leading midfield team.

Sainz’s comments come in the wake of a disastrous Austrian Grand Prix, where Williams suffered its first double retirement of the season.

The Spaniard was already facing an uphill task at the Red Bull Ring after qualifying 18th due to brake issues and floor damage. But he didn’t even make the start of the race, as his rear brakes caught fire while waiting at the end of the pitlane.

It followed Sainz barely getting away from the grid after getting stuck in first gear on the formation lap, forcing race control to abort the initial starting procedure.

Teammate Alex Albon also failed to see the chequered flag, retiring after just 15 laps with a separate issue. It marked Albon’s third straight DNF, following damage in Spain and an engine problem in Canada. 

Sainz acknowledged that Williams is still trying to identify what has gone wrong in recent races, after a promising start to the year with the FW47.

“Obviously there's a certain level of concern within the team, with so many reliability issues—three in a row for Alex, and then the brake issue with me,” he said.

“The brake issue was a lot of things coming together, but we understand now why it happened, and it shouldn't happen again.

“The issue on Alex's car, which has happened a few times now, is something we're trying to solve. It's very strange—because it only occurs on race day.

“We don’t see it during practice or qualifying, so we can’t simulate it properly, even though we’re trying everything. But we’ll keep working on it.”

With just a week between Austria and the British Grand Prix on July 6, Williams engineers had little time to rectify the issues before heading to Silverstone.

While the team remains wary of further reliability setbacks, Sainz said there is still plenty of encouragement to be taken from the car’s pace.

Despite the setbacks, Williams holds fifth place in the constructors’ standings, 19 points clear of its nearest rival Racing Bulls.

“It's been very hectic for the whole factory, for us as drivers, and for all the engineers involved. We’re doing everything we can to stay on top of these issues,” said Sainz.

“But one thing keeping us calm and motivated is that the speed is there. I’m confident we could have won the midfield battle in Austria—even starting from near the back—given our pace.

“We’re genuinely quick in every race, and the car is competitive. We just need to start putting everything together and make fewer mistakes as a team.”

Could Carlos Sainz move to Red Bull?

In the lead-up to the British Grand Prix, Sky Sport Italy reported that Mercedes has offered Max Verstappen a contract for the 2026 season, amid ongoing uncertainty over the Dutchman’s future at Red Bull.

If Verstappen were to break his contract and join Mercedes, it would create a coveted vacancy at Red Bull.

Sainz rose up the ranks with the backing of the energy drinks giant and spent almost three full seasons at what was then known as Toro Rosso in 2015-17.

However, when asked if he would be interested in joining Red Bull, the 30-year-old made it clear that his future lies with Williams.

“Well, first of all, the things you're commenting on—it looks like rumours at the moment,” he said. “I don’t know how much truth there is to all that.

“But Williams knows that my commitment is here for the next two years—and beyond, if the situation allows.

“I believe in the trajectory we’re on, and I’m very confident in the choice I’ve made.”