Peter has long believed that Carlos Sainz would have been better off signing a long-term deal with Audi at the end of 2024 – and a viewer in a recent livestream revealed that Carlos Snr agrees with that view. In the short-term there was no doubt that Williams-Mercedes would provide the quicker car; in the medium- to long-term, Brand Audi/Brand Carlos would have provided an intoxicating mix
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24 Comments
A better question would be, why did Ferrari think Lewis is going to do a better job at the Scuderia than Carlos?
Mercedes engine at Williams. Ferrari should have kept Sainz
Williams made solid progress last year. He'll be on the podium several times this year im sure .
Always sounded James had a big influence in signing Carlos. Maybe he was more convincing, leadership at Audi has changed a lot, with Seidl leaving and then Binotto coming in. If the Mercedes engine is the best as we all suspect, he is going to have a much better time at Williams than Audi if they struggle initially
I think Carlos is a good fit at Williams and that he is a pivotal component of the Williams climb upward. Williams has the potential of becoming another McLaren, They seem to have the team and Carlos has the right qualities and attitude and appears to be a good fit.
Hello Mr. Windsor. At the time I heard and read Audi wanted German drivers and to bring Vettel back from retirement and have him as the brand ambassador long term? If those reports I read and heard were true. It puts Carlos as a number 2 driver again. Not what he wants. Carlos wants to lead and be the teams number 1 driver.
And you still believe Lewis is close to being at the top. You're not always right.
Absolutely insane that "Audi's car will be faster" didn't come up in your list of reasons. What do you mean you don't know why he went to Williams? It's because he thinks their car will be faster.
Audi will not be ready until 2027 or 2028 to even win a race. By then, if they still want Carlos he’ll be driving a in a Mercedes customer team somewhere in the middle-front of the top 10. Meanwhile maybe Williams matched their wage offer, at least sufficiently, to make it worth his while.
I thought it was a bad idea also. He could have built the Audi team along with them and as you have said been an ambassador for the brand there after. Works team and engine is always the team to pick.
Drivers want to win championships not be forgotten in a bottom team. Why do you think being an Audi ambassador means anything when it's a bottom team.
The drivers should forget about winning in F1 and just figure out what's the best way to do well long term and just enjoy driving high power racing cars and chillax…..or maybe they do that anyway 😅
You seem very bitter towards Williams, Peter?
Love your content, but you have a definitive bias against Williams. What, in your past associations with Williams, happened to make you have this ongoing negatively toward Williams ? It's unbecoming and disappointing. It's so obvious .
Audi got the better driver
I think Williams was the better option. They were already starting their recovery by the time he joined and Albon had shown that they had potential. Audi won't be competitive for another two or three years at best, why would Carlos give up four years of his career waiting to see if they get better when he can go to a team that is already on the way up?
Plus at Williams, fighting at the front of the mid field, he can still prove his worth as a top driver, so if a seat opens up at a top team and he wants to jump ship he is in a better position to grab it.
I'm a 100% that Williams is the better bet.
James Vowles and the team he is building are the reason for me.
Carlos will score better there and doors will open for the next stage.
Question for Audi is? Are they there for the long haul? I think not. Time will tell.
Would Carlos have podiumed twice last year? No. Simple answer.
I would rather be in a Williams with a Mercedes engine that could be very competitive this year, than tie myself to an Audi project that may not come good till the 2030s if at all.
Carlos Jr is like reverse Alonso when it comes to moving teams. Always seem to come and go at the right time.
Here's what happened:
Carlos: Car fast?
James: Si
Carlos: Soy piloto numero uno?
James: Si
Carlos: Vamos!
It’s not too late. TBH.
It's because he likes James Vowles. The management style works for him. Maybe Audi had better potential, but at Williams he'll have an easier, nicer time if unlocking any potential they have.
I’m happy he chose Williams.