Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams was confirmed earlier this week, which put an end to rumors linking him to Audi. Why Sainz preferred the British outfit has been a matter of speculation, especially considering his father’s ties to Audi through rallying. F1 expert Craig Slater, meanwhile, felt that the turmoil behind the scenes was what made Sainz choose Williams.
On the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Slater said,
“I spoke to someone who has a good window on what the goings on are like currently at the team. He described it to me as a mess. This is a team that can’t even put a wheel on the car properly at the moment.”
Very happy to announce I’ll be joining @WilliamsRacing next season! Excited about the project and the challenges ahead of us!
Muy contento de poder anunciar que el año que viene me uniré a @WilliamsRacing! Entusiasmado con el proyecto y con los retos que tendremos por… pic.twitter.com/oUg5IexunR
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 29, 2024
Slater explains that Mattia Binotto‘s arrival and Andreas Seidl’s exit are signs that things aren’t going as planned at the Hinwil-based outfit. He added,
“All of that has been a turn-off for Sainz. He worried that if he goes there, he’ll be in the kind of situation that Zhou and Bottas are in or not much better”
Audi was amongst the first teams to make an offer for Sainz. They wanted him even before his Ferrari exit became official. But still, Sainz believed in Williams’ project more.
Guenther Steiner Reveals the Reason Why Sainz Chose Williams Over Audi
Previously, former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner claimed that Sainz could choose Audi over Williams because the former had deeper pockets. But as it turned out, money wasn’t Sainz’s priority.
On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner insisted,
“He spoke with both the teams and I don’t think Williams is going to pay more than Audi would pay. For Carlos, it isn’t only about money. It is about ‘where will I be in 2-3 years’”.
Also, rumors suggest Sainz has an exit clause in his Williams contract. It will allow the Madrid-born driver to move away in case Mercedes or Red Bull approaches him. Sainz wants this clause added because he does not want to be stuck on a team that doesn’t do well with the 2026 regulation changes.
Williams has agreed to all of Sainz’s demands, as a result of which he will head to Grove in four months.
