Carlos Sainz should have accepted ‘very lucrative’ offer from Williams rivals when he left Ferrari

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Carlos Sainz’s decision to join Williams looked like a masterstroke last year. Just one race into 2026, it seems he made a mistake after all.

Sainz was ‘angry’ with Williams’ performance in testing as the impact of their production delays became clear. After they missed the Barcelona Shakedown, their Bahrain lap times suggested they had dropped into the lower midfield.

Those fears were confirmed in Australia when Sainz and Alex Albon finished 15th and 12th respectively. The former didn’t even take part in qualifying due to a car failure.

Williams’ last major F1 milestones – Can the Grove-based squad achieve any of these again in 2026? ⬇️

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Meanwhile, Audi, the team Sainz rejected in 2024, enjoyed an excellent debut as Gabriel Bortoleto reached Q3 and scored points, even if they’re still facing some reliability gremlins of their own.

Carlos Sainz made a mistake rejecting Audi for Williams

Admittedly, it’s easy to say Sainz made the wrong call with the benefit of hindsight. When the offers came in, there were doubts about Audi’s engine in the F1 paddock.

But Sainz’s father told him Audi would reach the top in F1, having enjoyed success with the German manufacturer in rallying. They have also had periods of dominance in the World Endurance Championship and DTM.

Even Sainz himself acknowledged Audi’s formidable track record, but he was clearly concerned they would be a backmarker in 2026 and take too long to reach the front.

As it turns out, Audi have immediately leapfrogged Williams. Yes, this is based on a one-race sample, but the fact is that they have started the season with a better car and their long-term ceiling is almost certainly higher due to their vast resources.

Sainz scored two podiums in an excellent debut season at Williams but the much-anticipated leap forward under the new regulations has not materialised. The Grove outfit have gone in the opposite direction.

He played it fairly safe with his decision and might already be regretting it in private, particularly when his father appeared to be advocating for Audi.

‘I trust people more than numbers’ – What Carlos Sainz said about Audi snub

Explaining his decision late last year, Sainz said Williams were a better short and long-term bet than Audi. James Vowles’ pitch also gave him ‘confidence’.

He said: “I’m someone who places a lot of value on personal relationships; I like to trust people more than numbers, data, and so on. The way James handled the negotiation and the situation always inspired confidence in me.”

As Helmut Marko revealed back in 2024, not even Red Bull could match Audi’s ‘very lucrative’ offer for Sainz, even if then-boss Andreas Seidl denied that money was central to their appeal.

Sainz’s goal is to get back to the front of F1 while he’s still in his prime, and right now, it looks as if Audi will reach that level before Williams. If he was offered the chance to swap teams, he might well take it.

The same can’t be said for Gabriel Bortoleto, who doesn’t need to think about approaching the traditional ‘big four’ because he has already landed a plum seat.

Sainz has an exit clause in his deal this year, but the most coveted spots on the grid may now be beyond his reach.