The F1 race winner David Coulthard thinks will be “eyeballing” other teams

Carlos Sainz will be “eyeballing” his next move amid the Williams Formula 1 team’s struggles in 2026, according to former Red Bull driver David Coulthard.

After losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton at the end of 2024, Sainz chose Williams despite having offers elsewhere because he believed in the Grove-based outfit’s project to return to the front of the F1 field.

The 31-year-old Spaniard’s decision appeared to be vindicated during a brilliant debut season with Williams in which he scored two podiums to help the British outfit secure a superb fifth place in the constructors’ championship.

But Williams has slipped down F1’s pecking order in 2026 with a car that is both badly off the pace and overweight. Recent upgrades have enabled the team to score regular points of late, but it has ultimately been a campaign of frustration.

Coulthard, a 13-time grand prix winner, reckons Williams’ struggles will prompt Sainz to consider a move to another team.

"You can see the frustration for the drivers, visibly, I guess a bit more for Alex, who has now just celebrated being the most racy driver for Williams - that probably doesn't make sense in English. I am Scottish after all. He's done more grands prix than any other driver for the Williams team,” Coulthard said on the Up to Speed podcast.

"So he's embedded in that team. He's part of the DNA and has consistently delivered. So, I guess his frustration level will be higher than Carlos, who, let's be frank, he's definitely eyeballing where his next opportunity lies because he's gone from Ferrari winning grands prix to Williams being happy scoring points.

"He wants to be back there again. And that journey for Williams is going to take a few years. So, I think we've got to give credit for the progress, but of course, it's Williams and that name in itself, we expect more.”

There has been no indication from Sainz himself that he is looking to move away from Williams.

In fact, Sainz reaffirmed his commitment to Williams as recently as the Monaco Grand Prix.

“I think we've made it mutual across one another that the ideal scenario and the ideal path moving forward for me has always been Williams and has always been seeing the progress of this team and continuing to help this team become a competitive team,” Sainz said.

“I know I obviously need to take a decision this year about my future but at the same time, I made it very clear to Williams and to my management team that my priority is to make this project work. When I did the commitment a couple of years ago to come here, it was with the commitment of trying to make this work and I wish we can do that.

“Obviously this year we've hit a bit of a big bump that we didn't expect and now all my attention and focus is to try and get this team out of the bump as soon as possible.

“I think we were maybe looking [at] about 2029 podiums consistently, and the 2030 the win. I knew there was not going to be any winning in Williams until at least '28, '29, '30. It is true that we've just been through a pretty big bump in the road to recovery.

“I'm committed to try and help the team get out of this bump and do the best we can to recover. I just want to be winning in F1, that's my main message to my management and at the same time help Williams get back to the top.”