The announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in early 2024 meant Carlos Sainz would be dropped. The Spanish driver immediately became a hot target for every team with an open seat in 2025, with Audi seemingly being the frontrunner. However, Sainz ultimately chose Williams instead, trusting the vision James Vowles had presented for their future.
The expectation was that Williams would be on the lower end of the championship in 2025, given their early focus on 2026. Instead, they finished fifth, matching their best finish since 2015, and with a widely expected strong Mercedes engine, coupled with factory staff increases, there was considerable hope for Williams heading into Formula 1's new era this year.
But things have gone very poorly with the FW48. The team were unable to take part in the first preseason test in Barcelona, and they've had a rough start to the 2026 season. Despite a limited and overweight car, Sainz remains hopeful.
Carlos Sainz criticism is still unwarranted
The team's struggles have led to questions about Sainz's decision from 2024. The basis of the criticism toward the Spanish driver is the fact that Audi have had such a strong start to the season, notably with a large performance gap over Williams.
The results have not shown this, with both teams having scored only two points thus far; Sainz scored those two with a surprise ninth place finish in China. But it's clear that the team formerly known as Sauber have had the upper hand.
However, Audi's good start is not enough to justify criticism over Sainz’s decision to join Williams. The 31-year-old had a fantastic season in 2025, achieving two podium finishes in Azerbaijan and Qatar, more than both of Sauber’s drivers combined.
It would be fair to start asking questions about Sainz’s decision if Audi make massive improvements this year and become a regular top eight finisher, while Williams continue to struggle. But until then, a two-race sample size is not enough, especially as Williams were significantly better than Sauber for much of 2025.
With the scale still tipping in his favor overall, it is surprising that tension exists over Sainz’s move to Williams over Audi. There is potential for a rivalry in the midfield between the two teams this season, but regardless of how it turns out, it is still unlikely that Sainz will have any significant regrets stemming from that choice.