Guenther Steiner predicts Carlos Sainz could leave Williams for F1 rival after 2026 rule change

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Carlos Sainz has proved during the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season why Williams were so desperate to sign him ahead of their rivals in the paddock.

James Vowles chased Sainz for months before he decided to join Williams after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

There was a point at the start of the season when it looked like Carlos Sainz was really going to struggle to match his new teammate, Alex Albon.

Who is going to win the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship?

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However, the Spaniard has scored two podiums this season, which is the first time a Williams driver has achieved that feat since 2015, and with one race to go, Sainz could beat Albon in the drivers’ championship if he outscores him by nine points.

Sainz has been prominent in the driver market ever since he made his F1 debut more than a decade ago, and Guenther Steiner is predicting that he could be on the move again in the future.

Although he thinks a move to Ferrari or Red Bull is ‘very unlikely’, he believes that Sainz could end up being offered the ‘opportunity’ to replace Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin beyond 2026.

READ MORE: Williams star Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Guenther Steiner calls Carlos Sainz one of the ‘number one candidates’ in the F1 driver market

Steiner was speaking on The Red Flags Podcast and reflecting on Sainz’s brilliant third-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix.

He said: “You know what sometimes happens, some teams will look at him now but not admit it.

“I mean, think about it, Red Bull could have had him back last year to put beside Max, didn’t want him.

“It’s like, should we have Carlos and fight for the world championship? Maybe they didn’t want him.

“But when you make these decisions, you never go back and regret them. But next time around, when one of the teams is looking for somebody for sure, he must be one of the number one candidates.

“He’s still young, has got experience, won races, can pull a team together as he did at Williams.

“So, he has got all the credibility now. He just needs the right opportunity. As I always say, you need to be at the right place at the right time.”

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Guenther Steiner suggests Carlos Sainz to Aston Martin might be his ‘opportunity’

The former Haas team principal then spoke about whether top teams will still look at Sainz despite being 31 years old. He continued: “I think it will be very difficult, as you say, except if you’re a rookie, to go up.

“It’s very difficult, but I think the opportunity for Carlos is next year if one of the cars, which are now in the midfield and that could be a Williams, could be an Aston Martin that they are looking for somebody who brings them completely to the top like Fernando went into the Aston Martin.

“Fernando came back to I think it was Renault at the time, so I think the opportunities are there.

Finish the sentence: In 2026, Carlos Sainz will finish ____ in the championship with Williams

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“For Carlos to go back to Ferrari, very unlikely; for Carlos to go to Red Bull, very unlikely; to go to Mercedes, very unlikely.

“But there is always an opportunity because one of the other teams is performing highly, I think this is his opportunity.

“Williams or Aston Martin, I would say [is his best opportunity]. I don’t think Fernando can do another five years, to be honest. He will do another year, maybe two maximum.”

Carlos Sainz earns David Coulthard’s praise as Williams stint goes from strength to strength

Williams are going to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in 2026, with so much of their time and resources put into next year’s car.

Very few people expected Vowles’ team to finish fifth in the championship, but they’ve done so comfortably and with a race to spare.

David Coulthard reserved special praise for Sainz after his podium in Qatar, and particularly enjoyed the leadership he showed from inside the cockpit during the race.

Ferrari are among Sainz’s admirers if they need to replace Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc despite dropping him at the end of last season.

However, this might not be giving Williams enough credit, as there’s no reason why they can’t deliver Sainz a race-winning car next season.