Reports suggest that Williams has proposed a 30 million euro contract to Sainz amid the uproar surrounding Piastri.
Williams is reportedly offering Carlos Sainz a staggering 30 million euros annually to continue with the team, even as the Spaniard takes his time making a decision and faces intense backlash for his collision with Oscar Piastri during the Hungarian GP. This amount would position Sainz among the top earners in Formula 1, despite his ongoing criticisms of Williams' car throughout the season. After leaving Hungary, he stated that he would take advantage of the summer break to thoughtfully consider his future.
However, the timing is unfortunate, following his incident with Piastri while being lapped, after which he did not fully accept the blame. Sainz argued that he hadn't noticed Piastri and claimed he didn't receive sufficient blue flag warnings, although video evidence showed his Williams passing several illuminated blue flags. Williams later confirmed that the blue flag indicator on his steering wheel was malfunctioning.
Piastri was not impressed by Sainz’s defense. "I don’t really care if he didn’t see me," the McLaren driver remarked. "That’s unacceptable," describing the incident as "one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen on a racetrack." Meanwhile, Sainz stated he had no plans to approach Piastri to apologize, saying, "No, I don’t need to. It’s a normal racing incident. I don’t know if he could have been a bit more cautious, considering he was battling for a podium finish. He could have positioned himself better, especially since we were facing issues with the blue flags as well."
Sainz's defense was even publicly challenged by a Community Note on X. Piastri also highlighted Sainz's position as a GPDA director along with his frequent critiques of other drivers. "He’s quite critical of others," Piastri mentioned. "Others have told him he’s frustrating on track. When something like that happens, he might want to reflect on himself."
Nonetheless, Williams team principal James Vowles defended his driver by stating, "We could have done a better job in warning him about Piastri." Sky Deutschland analyst Ralf Schumacher suggested that the standard race penalty was inadequate, asserting, "For me, Carlos Sainz should also be penalized for the next race. Otherwise, this will set a precedent, and it simply can’t happen."
Despite the controversy and Sainz’s visible impatience, Vowles seems committed to keeping both him and Alex Albon on the team. "This winter has unexpectedly revealed all our shortcomings," the Williams boss acknowledged. "This has set us back significantly, and while we’re trying our best this season, the reality is we must ensure everything is in place for 2027 and beyond." He added, referring to Sainz and Albon, "They’ve been by our side every step of the way and have remained resilient despite the challenges we’ve put them through on the track. They’re two incredible drivers who deserve to compete for points every weekend, and we haven’t allowed them to."
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Reports suggest that Williams has proposed a 30 million euro contract to Sainz amid the uproar surrounding Piastri.
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