Carlos Sainz retires late in Monaco after costly contacts

Williams came close to securing a rare double‑points finish in Monaco, but Carlos Sainz’s race collapsed in the closing stages after two separate collisions. While Alex Albon salvaged eighth place, Sainz was forced to retire with eight laps remaining, ending what had been a promising afternoon for the team.

Following the restart, Sainz was first hit by Nico Hülkenberg at the Loews hairpin, then spun at Portier after additional contact with Franco Colapinto. The damage left him no choice but to pull into the escape road. Sainz expressed clear frustration, noting that he had managed the race well before the red flag and could do little to avoid the incidents. He described the moves against him as overly optimistic and nearly unacceptable.

Albon’s result brings him within one point of Sainz in the standings. Despite technical issues, he called it his cleanest weekend of the year and aims to build on it in Barcelona.