Carlos Sainz Sr explains why son snubbed Audi F1 for Williams

Carlos Sainz Sr said his son chose Williams as his next move over Audi as it is a “project that is going up.”

When it became known that Sainz had no future at Ferrari, many suspected a move to Audi would be his next port of call but despite interest from the Germans, Sainz has chosen to move to Williams for 2025.

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The Audi links were easy to make given his dad’s connections with the team but Sainz himself always seemed hesitant, leaving an offer on the table for a number of weeks before announcing his Williams in August.

As to why Sainz opted for Williams over Audi, his dad suggested that “Williams is a project that is going up.”

“It’s his decision and we have to respect it,” Sainz Sr told Marca. “It wasn’t an easy decision, nor a clear one. There were three or four options and in the end he is the one who has to decide his future and we support him as much as possible. And that’s what we’ve done.

“Williams is a project that is going up, at the end of this year it has started to go better and we have to hope, and we trust in it, that next year it will continue on an upward trend.”

While Ferrari to Williams is undoubtedly a step down, Sainz Sr was confident that his son would bring a positive boost to the Grove team.

“Carlos has left a good impression on the teams he has been with, with his work and his know-how,” the rally driver said. “The teams have improved when he has arrived and that is what is important for a professional and what should always be demanded of him.

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“I think that in this respect Carlos is a serious driver and that he is very clear about where he is going.”

As for 2024, his son’s last year in red, Sainz Sr admitted that the unknown surrounding the future had been difficult.

“I’ve always been by his side in this,” he said. “It’s true that this year has been a difficult one for him, where before the season started the Hamilton to Ferrari story came up, a complicated situation.

“As a father, I and my nephew gave him a hand, we looked at all the possible options. But my role hasn’t changed in that.”

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