Rumors: Sergio Perez is negotiating with Williams

      Carlos Sainz is spending his summer vacation in Mallorca and its surroundings, as his family has a villa on the largest island of the Balearic archipelago. But the Spanish driver is certainly not just resting, relaxing, and indulging in various pleasant activities. He once again has to think about how to shape the next stage of his career.

      After the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished in a distant 18th place, two laps behind the winner, Lando Norris, Carlos said: "I plan to make some decisions, but of course, I need to weigh everything calmly." It is likely that his words should be understood as him being open to changing teams in 2027.

      The Williams FW48 does not satisfy him and does not meet the team's expectations, and there are no particular hopes that the upgraded version of the chassis being prepared in Grove for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will allow them to fight for points.

      Of course, team principal James Vowles hopes to retain the current lineup, which he has mentioned several times, but the paddock at this stage of the season is always filled with various rumors, including whispers that representatives of Sergio Perez's management are negotiating with Williams.

      As Marca reports, this is based on some leaks that were deliberately allowed either by the Mexican driver's entourage or in Grove, which raises doubts since Carlos has not made any decisions yet.

      Sainz's annual salary is estimated by experts to be around $13 million; however, it is quite possible that extending his contract with the team would involve some increase in his fees. However, the Spanish newspaper emphasizes that all of this is nothing more than speculation, as the driver's entourage has never shared such information.

      Again, it can be assumed that Perez would not mind moving to Williams, especially since Cadillac F1, for which he is racing this season, would like to put Colton Herta behind the wheel of their car in the future, but the American team's reserve driver does not have an FIA super license.

      But they are also keeping an eye on the fast Brazilian Rafael Camara, a student of the Ferrari Racing Academy, who, unlike Herta, is performing quite successfully in Formula 2 and is currently in 3rd place in the standings of the youth series. Since Cadillac uses power units built in Maranello, if the Scuderia wants to help Rafael debut in Formula 1, this could be a significant argument in negotiations.

      However, the main question that remains unanswered is whether Sainz has a real chance to move to a higher-level team than Williams?

      Let’s quote a few lines from Marca: "Some believe that if Mercedes had chosen him instead of Antonelli in 2025, Carlos would be leading the World Championship now, considering how well the Madrid native has adapted to the cars of this generation."

      And the British online publication The Race, in ranking the best drivers of 2026, placed Sainz in 5th place – ahead of only Kimi, Lando, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton. For example, George Russell only ended up in 8th place.

      However, it should be emphasized that there are no vacancies in top teams, and it is uncertain whether any will arise. However, much depends on Max Verstappen's decision, although the chances of him staying at Red Bull Racing are considered much higher than other scenarios. Another driver whose plans for 2027 are still unclear is Fernando Alonso, and if there are no significant improvements in Aston Martin's situation in the second half of the season, he may not want to spend another season with little chance of high results.

      Despite all these speculations, today’s text on the pages of Marca ends with the phrase: "The author is willing to bet that neither Sainz nor Alonso will leave their current teams, although this means nothing yet."