Carlos Sainz sets Le Mans ambition for life after Formula 1

Sainz identifies his next racing goal

Carlos Sainz has offered the clearest indication yet of what he would like to pursue beyond Formula 1, naming the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a major ambition for the next phase of his motorsport career.

Albon then questioned whether the Spaniard had a motorsport “checklist” he wanted to complete. Sainz’s answer was direct: “I really want to do Le Mans.”

“If you put together a good GT3 team that I know I would have fun with, I could have fun with that,” he said.

A different kind of motorsport pressure

Sainz’s comments suggest that his interest in endurance racing is rooted as much in enjoyment as in competition. He explained that, after Formula 1, he would like to experience motorsport from a different position rather than continuing under the same level of responsibility and scrutiny.

“Now we have a responsibility, we have pressure and we have a team to stand up for and deliver results, but in the future we could just do it for ourselves,” Sainz reflected. “Motorsport for pure enjoyment, which I actually think is the coolest sport to do.”

That perspective contrasts sharply with the demands of his current Williams role. Sainz is enduring a difficult 2026 campaign, sitting 15th in the drivers’ standings with six points. Albon is 16th with five, leaving Williams ninth in the constructors’ championship on 11 points. Albon has already described the setback facing Williams’ rebuild, underlining the scale of the team’s current challenge.