A contract at Williams or Audi: The pros and cons for Carlos Sainz
General
- Ludo van Denderen
No doubt the realisation has dawned on Carlos Sainz by now: after the current season at Ferrari, it is virtually out of the question for the Spaniard to rejoin a top team in 2025. Indeed, even a place at a sub-top team is unlikely to be an option. For now, Sainz has two serious options where he could continues his career: Williams and Sauber (the future Audi). Two teams each with their pros and cons.
If anything has become clear in recent months, it is that Sainz does not have a huge preference for Sauber - and therefore Audi. Despite a very generous offer, the Spaniard refuses to budge. Until recently, Sainz probably had hopes of joining Mercedes, but that team is not waiting for the three-time GP winner. Nor is Red Bull Racing a serious option for Sainz at the moment. And yet Sainz has been refusing to take up Audi's offer for months.
Sainz's dilemma
By now it is clear why. There is also the chance of a contract at Williams, which presents Sainz with an interesting dilemma: will he choose Audi's future factory team or the team full of history from Wantage? In any case, both teams have in common that they are not competing for podium spots, let alone victories. Whichever of the two Sainz chooses, his mindset needs to change dramatically. Scoring points will be the goal, then his new employer will already be happy.
Both Audi and Williams have ambitions to eventually compete for the top spots in Formula 1. That is a long-term process. Audi have the advantage of being a factory team, so they have all the benefits of that compared to a customer team. Audi are currently working very hard to attract the best possible people and build excellent facilities. No resources are being spared for this; for the Germans, failure is not an option anyway. Nevertheless, the road to success is still long, especially given the current state of the team currently competing in the sport as Stake F1. Moreover, it remains to be seen to what extent the Audi power unit (debuting in 2026) can be competitive.
Williams are not a factory team, which means the Britons will always be partly dependent on external parties for certain parts - especially the power unit. It is now clear that Williams will use Mercedes engines until at least the end of 2030. McLaren are currently proving that there is nothing wrong with the PU at all. Especially in the early years, the Mercedes power unit is expected to be stronger and more reliable than Audi's. At the same time, it is no secret that Williams need to catch up in terms of facility modernisation. Also, they are a team that do not currently spend the maximum amount allowed under the budget cap in F1.
What is the best option for Sainz?
If Sainz opts for a nice salary and long-term success, then Audi is probably the best option. In that case, therefore, the Spaniard has to reckon with several years in the middle, even the rear of the grid. With Williams, he is more likely to compete for the points on a regular basis - especially if the currently overweight car could lose a lot of weight. Moreover, with the Mercedes power unit, Williams have one of the strongest engines on the grid. But Williams are not and will not be a factory team, so they will always maintain a (small) gap.
Plenty of trade-offs for Sainz to decide on in the coming weeks. But that the F1 world will not see the Spaniard winning a Grand Prix after 2024 for the time being, at least that seems a certainty.