Carlos Sainz delivered a huge blow to Audi this week by finally turning down their persistent advances in favor of sticking with his current team, Williams, until at least the end of 2026.
Sainz’s decision comes after a series of dramatic developments in the F1 world. Initially, Audi made a strong move for Sainz following Ferrari’s announcement that seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him next year. Given his history with team leader Andreas Seidl at McLaren, the offer seemed promising. However, internal conflicts within Audi’s leadership, resulting in the ousting of Seidl and Oliver Hoffman before the Belgian Grand Prix, led to uncertainty.
Mattia Binotto, Sainz’s former boss at Ferrari, has taken control at Audi, creating speculation that this could be a good fit. Despite this, Sainz chose to stay with Williams, where he has a multi-year contract. With Audi now lacking their primary target, they might look to keep Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg as their drivers. But Audi still faces significant challenges to prepare for the 2026 season.
Interestingly, Audi had their eyes on Aston Martin’s team boss, Mike Krack, as a potential team principal. Krack confirmed visiting the Sauber/Audi base recently and admitted to having ties there from his time with BMW. Even so, he remained vague when questioned about the potential move, emphasizing his current commitment to Aston Martin.
Aston Martin themselves are dealing with a decline in performance. They started strong in 2023, but mid-season issues saw them fall to fifth place, despite significant investments in new facilities and technical talent. Team owner Lawrence Stroll has invested $200 million in improvements, but results have yet to align with the spending. Fernando Alonso’s recent results and team dynamics, like Lance Stroll ignoring team orders, hint at internal challenges.
On the technical front, Aston Martin has recruited significant talent, including Andy Cowell from Mercedes and Enrico Cardile from Ferrari. Team owner Stroll expressed excitement about building a formidable team. However, the rumors about Krack potentially moving to Audi could be concerning.
With Sainz off the market, other driver contracts for 2025 may quickly fall into place. Valtteri Bottas, who was considering a move to Williams, will likely re-sign with Audi. Meanwhile, the situation remains fluid for other drivers like Kevin Magnussen, who may find opportunities with teams like Alpine. Mercedes also appears set to promote junior driver Kimi Antonelli, contrary to rumors about pursuing Max Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz’s decision to stay with Williams until 2026 has reshaped the driver market and added new layers of drama to the F1 world. Audi, under new leadership, now faces an uphill battle to finalize their team and prepare for the future, while Aston Martin’s internal and external challenges also continue to unfold.
