Carlos Sainz‘s father remains disappointed after his son rejected an offer to join Audi F1 for the 2025 season.
After losing his seat at Ferrari to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the younger Sainz instead opted to join Williams Racing amid growing anticipation around the german manufacturer’s entry into Formula 1 in 2026.
The rejection came after Carlos Sainz’s father, a two-time World Rally Champion, won his fourth Dakar Rally with Audi last year. Despite the close ties and his strong belief in Audi F1’s future, Sainz Jr. chose a different path, citing instinct and short-term goals as key factors in his decision.
Sainz’s decision came after evaluating offers from Audi, Alpine, and Williams. The former which is set to rebrand the Sauber team as part of its 2026 F1 entry, presented what the Spanish driver described as a “great offer.”
Speaking to German publication Blick, Sainz Jr. acknowledged his father’s disappointment but emphasized that his decision was guided by intuition and long-term aspirations.
“My father, Carlos, is still disappointed that I didn’t choose Audi’s great offer a few months ago,” Sainz Jr. admitted.
“After my dream of moving to Red Bull or Mercedes fell through, I had to decide between Audi, Alpine, and Williams.
“After visiting the factories and having discussions, my gut feeling immediately told me – go to Williams. They want a better future. And when my heart also said yes, the decision was made.”
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s career trajectory has been one of resilience and adaptability. Following his F1 debut with Toro Rosso in 2015, he has steadily climbed the ranks with stints at Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams.
Sainz’s time at the Scuderia was marked by highs and lows; while he secured race wins and podium finishes, he struggled with consistency and reliability issues.
However, in 2023 he was the only non-Red Bull driver who secured a Grand Prix victory during the regular season—a testament to his skill and determination.
The decision to join Williams represents a significant shift for Sainz Jr., who is now tasked with helping revive one of F1’s most iconic teams. While the Oxfordshire-based outfit has struggled in recent years, Bahrain pre-season testing hinted a promising performance for the 2025 F1 season.
READ ALSO: Bahrain F1 testing: Carlos Sainz leads Lewis Hamilton in Day 2
Sainz is confident the team’s progress will make a difference, stating that he feels motivated by their commitment to improvement during initial tests in Abu Dhabi last year.
“As soon as I jumped into the car and started working with the people I was going to work with this year, I felt I had just joined a team full of motivation, full of people wanting to bring this team back to the front,” he said.
“The car also didn’t disappoint me. It was a good test overall in Abu Dhabi and we’ve had a strong winter of development. We’ve tried to hit the ground running this year and we’ve had a positive test.”
While some critics argue that rejecting Audi’s offer may have been a missed opportunity given their resources and ambitions as a new manufacturer in Formula 1, others see Sainz’s move as bold and forward-thinking.
Audi’s entry into F1 is highly anticipated due to its strong engineering pedigree and success in other motorsport disciplines. However, transitioning from endurance racing to F1 is no small feat, and it is unclear how competitive Audi will be in its first years.
Despite Carlos Sainz’s father ending up in disappointment, his support for his son remains unwavering.
Carlos Jr. is confident that his choice will pay off in the long run. He believes Williams offers him an environment conducive to growth and success as both a driver and contributor to the team’s resurgence.
“Progress means being more competitive,” he remarked when discussing Williams’ goals for 2025 F1. “Fixing things we didn’t get right last year—reliability, weight of the car—just simple things that maybe in the past Williams wasn’t getting spot on.”
