Carlos Sainz is embarking on his journey with Williams, much to the delight of team boss James Vowles among others. However, not everyone is pleased with the Spaniard’s choice for the British racing team, including his father, Carlos Sainz senior. The Dakar Rally winner would have preferred his son to join the German Audi team, just like the rally driver himself.
Carlos Sainz officially begins his adventure with Williams this weekend. The Spaniard is set to start his first race as a driver for the British racing team in Melbourne, a stark contrast to the previous edition of the Australian Grand Prix. A year ago, the Madrid-born driver won the race in Melbourne as a driver for Ferrari, but Sainz does not expect to be able to repeat that feat for Williams.
“Hopefully we can show some progress,” Sainz tempers expectations, speaking to Blick. “I think that will be fundamental for us this year: showing progress as a team and then we’ll see where the ship runs aground.”
Gut Feeling
Last year, Sainz made the decision to move to Williams after Ferrari chose to partner with Lewis Hamilton. After much deliberation, the Madrid-born driver switched to the British team, much to his father’s regret. “After my dream of driving for Red Bull or Mercedes fell through, I had to choose between Audi, Alpine, and Williams. My gut feeling was to go to Williams. They want a better future, so the decision was made.”
Carlos Sainz senior, the driver’s father, is himself a rally driver for Audi. The Spaniard even won the Dakar Rally in an Audi vehicle in 2024. “I hope that my father, who had great times at Audi, will soon be happy that I chose Williams.”
