Carlos Sainz’s stock in the F1 driver market has just taken a huge hit

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Carlos Sainz’s stock in the F1 driver market for 2027 has just taken a huge hit amid him looking to leave Williams, after Allan McNish hailed what Nico Hulkenberg offers Audi.

Williams have endured a torrid start to 2026 after falling behind with the production of their car for the new regulations, which ultimately arrived on circuit heavily overweight. Williams’ upgrades introduced so far this season have even failed to reduce their performance deficit.

The Grove crew’s woes have left Sainz sitting just 15th in the drivers’ standings ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with his teammate Alex Albon also only in 16th. Sainz has scored just six points and Albon has five, too, sparking reports that they are both looking to leave Williams.

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Allan McNish calling Nico Hulkenberg ‘perfect’ for Audi is a blow to Carlos Sainz’s stock

It has been suggested that Sainz would sign for Audi at any time, ahead of his contract with Williams expiring at the end of the season. However, a move to the German giant seems to be off the cards now, as Hulkenberg is adamant that Audi will honour his contract for 2027.

Audi could potentially find themselves in a position to trigger a performance-based release clause in Hulkenberg’s contract, but they are not believed to be contemplating it right now.

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And McNish’s praise for what Hulkenberg and teammate Gabriel Bortoleto offer Audi might explain why Audi are set to retain the German and Brazilian drivers for next season, even if Sainz does not take up an option to extend his contract with Williams for 2027 (or for 2028).

Audi racing director McNish said in Friday’s team principals’ press conference at Spa: “I think we’re very fortunate, to be honest with you, with Nico and Gabi, because they complement each other very well.

“Different eras of their careers, I would say. With Nico, especially, we’ve got someone who has a lot of experience, gets out there and still delivers it in a race situation, and we’ve seen that now on multiple occasions. Super good.

“On the other side of it, Gabi’s getting stronger every single weekend, and I think we’ve got a nice little balance between the two. As I stand here today, I think actually, for us and where we are, it is the perfect combination.”

McNish’s comments coming amid the reports that Sainz is interested in signing for Audi deal a huge blow to the Spaniard’s stock in the F1 driver market. The 31-year-old would likely be one of the most decorated options available if he left Williams, yet Audi do not appear keen.

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Sainz is a four-time Grand Prix winner who has scored podium finishes during his spells with McLaren, Ferrari and Williams. The Madrid native even helped each of those teams improve upon moving from one to the other over the last eight years and matching every teammate.

But McNish believes Hulkenberg sitting alongside Bortoleto is the “perfect combination” for Audi, suggesting that Sainz may not be seen as an improvement on the former. Hulkenberg finally scored his first F1 podium in the 2025 British Grand Prix after judging the conditions to perfection, in what was his 239th race, and has not dominated Bortoleto as teammates.

Since Audi signed Bortoleto for his F1 debut with Sauber in 2025, before they took the team over, the Brazilian edged Hulkenberg 12-11 in qualifying and only lost 12-11 for Grand Prix results last season. Bortoleto also leads Hulkenberg 6-3 for Grand Prix results so far in 2026.

So, while Sainz has been linked with Red Bull, should Max Verstappen leave and they want a stopgap solution as his replacement, Audi overlooking the Spaniard to retain Hulkenberg as Bortoleto’s teammate is a blow to his market stock. It is also said that Alpine are considering Sainz in case the team replace Franco Colapinto, as he does not have a contract for 2027.