Sainz admits weighing how long to wait for Williams

Carlos Sainz admits he is already thinking about how long he is prepared to wait for Williams to become a winning team again.

The Spaniard joined the famous British outfit with hopes of helping guide its long-term rebuild, but Williams has slipped backwards in 2026 after showing encouraging progress last year.

Team boss James Vowles has repeatedly pointed to 2028 as the target for returning to the front of the grid.

"I think it’s a realistic goal now," Sainz told El Mundo Deportivo. "But it’s also true that the step backward we’ve taken this year might have delayed that goal by a few months or a year.

"I don’t know exactly how much it’s delayed it in terms of my timeline."

The four-time grand prix winner admits he is already considering the question internally.

"It’s something I’m working on, also in my head, how long I’m willing to wait to win again in Formula 1. I want that time to be as short as possible."

Sainz insists he remains committed to helping accelerate the process at Williams.

"Even though James says 2028, I’m going to push the team to make it happen sooner."

Asked separately what his ideal Formula 1 would look like, the 31-year-old revealed a radical concept designed to remove the influence of machinery from the drivers’ championship.

"I have a slightly crazy idea," Sainz laughed. "I’ve always envisioned a Formula 1 where the manufacturers and drivers are separate."

Under his proposal, drivers would rotate between teams throughout the season.

"I’d have my chance to do two races with Williams, two with Mercedes, two with Ferrari. All the drivers would have exactly the same chance of winning the World Championship."

"That way, you’d completely separate the manufacturers from the drivers. And you’d have a true Drivers’ Championship and a true Constructors’ Championship."