Audi F1 in ‘turmoil’ after Carlos Sainz’s brutal ‘vote of no confidence’

Overlooking his father’s connection with Audi, Craig Slater believes Carlos Sainz gave the Sauber/Audi project a “vote of no confidence” with his decision to sign with Williams.

Six months after being informed that his Ferrari contract would not be renewed for 2025, Sainz has secured his future with Monday’s announcement that he’s joining Williams on a multi-year deal.

Carlos Sainz has turned down Audi to join Williams

That put an end to speculation about the 29-year-old’s future team with Sainz initially linked to Audi F1 before Williams emerged as the frontrunners.

Revealing the news, the three-time Grand Prix winner said he was “fully confident” that Williams was the right place for him, adding: “The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.

“I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and starting on January 1 I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team.”

A vote of confidence for the Grove team, and, according to Slater, a vote of no confidence for the Audi project with the German manufacturer taking over the Sauber team.

“I think is was a vote of no confidence for Sauber/Audi, chiefly when you think about the family connection with Sainz and Carlos Sainz Senior winning Dakar with Audi and the Volkswagen Group,” he said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“For him to walk away from that when it seemed the most obvious place for him to go is a clear sign that things are not right there.

“I spoke to someone who has a good window on what the goings on are like currently at that team.

“He’s not saying anything which isn’t obvious, but he described it to me as a mess and observed that this is a team that can’t even put a wheel on a car properly at the moment.

“So the turmoil at the top is reflective of things going badly wrong at the moment.”

More on Carlos Sainz’s decision to join Williams in 2025

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👉Revealed: Six other Williams F1 driver hires as unexpected as Carlos Sainz

Audi ‘turmoil’ was a ‘turn-off’ for Carlos Sainz

As recently as last week, that turmoil saw Audi bring in former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto to replace Andreas Seidl as the new leader of the F1 project, while chairman Oliver Hoffmann also stepped aside amidst reports of in-fighting between Seidl and Hoffmann.

According to Slater’s source, Audi may have underestimated the F1 challenger prompting Sainz to explore other options.

“They,” he continued, “also expressed to me the notion that they have underestimated Audi, and this isn’t the first time we’ve maybe heard about a manufacturer doing this, how difficult it is to get things right in Formula One in the time of timescale they’re working with.

“So I think all of that has been a turn-off for Sainz. I think he is worried if he goes there, he’s in the kind of situation that Bottas and Zhou are in, not much better next year, and who is to say what happens the year after that as well.

“I think in a way that he has chosen the best option available to him. And yes, I think someone as logical and as practical and pragmatic as Sainz and it’s a shame that he’s kind of in this position, I can’t quite understand that.

“But all his driver moves have made sense at the time, it’s just they’ve all not worked out correctly. I think he will look James Vowles in the eye and be convinced by him.

“He’s someone who knows what he is doing and what he is doing with Williams make sense, even if there are some sacrifices along the way and that is not clear at those other teams.”

Sauber sit bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with the team yet to score a single point in 14 Grands Prix.

Sainz’s decision to join Williams could mean another year at Sauber for Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu, although only one will be retained as the team has already signed Nico Hulkenberg.

Reports claim the driver who will continue with the team will be Bottas.

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