Why Carlos Sainz preferred Williams over Audi according to Gunther Steiner. Gunther Steiner on Carlos Sainz's decision to sign with Williams instead of Audi.

What Convinced Carlos Sainz
Despite Audi’s ambitious project for 2026, Carlos Sainz was ultimately convinced by James Vowles’ offer, signing a two-year contract with Williams until 2026 “and beyond.” The Spaniard, who had hoped until the last minute for a call from Red Bull or Mercedes, will therefore partner with Alexander Albon next season, hoping that the FW-47 will prove to be a much more competitive car compared to the current one.

Many have already expressed their opinions on the news, with some, like Lando Norris, believing that the Spaniard should and could have aimed for something better, and others, like Gunther Steiner, thinking that the move to Williams could turn out to be a winning one.

“I would say I’m surprised, not shocked,” said the former Haas Team Principal on the Red Flag podcast. “I don’t get shocked anymore, it takes a lot to shock me. I’m a bit surprised. But as I said before with the Audi team, if you bring in a Carlos Sainz and they have Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg, this attracts other great talents because you are taking things seriously. You have done everything possible to get the best people.” – he pointed out.

“I don’t think Williams will pay more than Audi would. And for Carlos, it’s not just a matter of money. It’s more a question of ‘Where will I be? Two years, three years, maybe more?’ Maybe at Williams they said: ‘You can leave after 2026 if we are in a bad situation when the big regulatory change comes. At Audi, they might have said: ‘You have to stay at least three years in total.’ And he might have said: ‘I want the freedom to leave at the end of 2026.’ But then, if you are Audi, you just say: ‘Yes, we will also make this deal because we are convinced that in 026 we will be competitive.’ I mean, if whoever is running Audi at the end of 2026 is not good, they will not have a job anyway.” – the Italian-American motorsport engineer and former team manager continued.

Asked if it was more the exit clause or the confidence in the Williams project that convinced Carlos Sainz, Gunther Steiner replied: “I think it’s a mix of both. Obviously, he needs to see some greatness and development. James told him what is going to happen and obviously, he must have liked it. But James is also smart enough to say: ‘If we are not competitive, you can leave at the end of 2026.’ So, he is very confident that they will be strong. That’s what they need to do. Surely there is a clause that says if the results are good, he cannot leave.” – he concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale