Carlos Sainz is preparing for his Williams debut (Image: Getty)
has revealed that his father was ‘disappointed’ that he opted not to sign for in 2025 ahead of the team’s rebrand to Audi in 2026. Instead, the Spaniard put pen to paper on a multi-year contract with , joining James Vowles’ project in Grove. After his exit from was confirmed in February last year, Sainz was the subject of interest from three F1 teams. and overlooked the four-time Grand Prix winner, leaving him with only midfield teams as options for 2025.
The three suitors were Williams, Alpine and Sauber. At the time, the latter was rooted to the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship standings with no points, but the promise of significant investment under the Audi motorsport umbrella in 2026 made them an intriguing proposition.
Even more interesting is the relationship between the Sainz family and Audi. Sainz Snr joined the manufacturer’s Dakar Rally programme in 2022 and clinched his fourth victory in the event in 2024, driving the Audi RS Q e-tron machine.
Speaking to Blick about the difference in opinions, Sainz Jnr told : “My father Carlos is still disappointed that I didn’t decide in favour of the great offer from Audi a few months ago. After my dream of switching to or was shattered, I had to choose between Audi, Alpine and Williams.
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Carlos Sainz Sr has ties to Audi (Image: Getty)
“After the factory visits and discussions, my gut instantly told me to go to Williams. They want a better future. And when my heart said yes, the decision was made. Now I hope that my father, who had great times with Audi, will soon be happy that I chose Williams.”
When it comes to short-term results, Sainz is in a good place heading into his debut season with Williams. The Grove-based squad enjoyed a very strong pre-season test in Bahrain, with many pundits and onlookers placing them at the head of the midfield in the provisional pecking order predictions.
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Despite the strong morale in the Williams camp, Sainz avoided making any lofty predictions. “Whilst we did leave testing feeling positive about our performance and gains, it’s always difficult to tell without knowing what our competitors are doing, so we’ll have a better understanding come qualifying on Saturday,” he said in Melbourne.
“I want to give a big thank you to everyone across the team for pushing hard these last few months to get the car ready and in a good position for us; hopefully we can have a strong start to the season and carry some positive momentum already from Australia onwards.”