Sainz sets record straight on Audi F1 after Williams commitment

Carlos Sainz brushed off the Audi F1 talk as just “paddock rumours” after affirming his commitment to Williams for F1 2027.

Sainz confirmed that he never gave serious thought to jumping ship to Audi, or anywhere else, amid a performance setback for Williams. Sainz insisted that it is not in his nature to bail when the going gets tough with a team.

Carlos Sainz ‘never seriously considered’ Audi F1

Sainz’s first season with Williams exceeded expectations as the Spaniard scored podiums in Baku and Qatar. F1 2026 was when Williams was supposed to take the next step back towards Formula 1’s summit, as the new regulations arrived.

Instead, Williams has struggled to keep pace in the development battle, with recent form suggesting that Williams is now ahead of only newcomers Cadillac.

Sainz opted against joining another F1 2026 newcomer in Audi by signing with Williams. Yet, amid the Williams struggles, rumours emerged that Sainz had identified Audi as a potential F1 2027 option.

Sainz had said that he would make a decision over the summer break. Ahead of the season resumption at Zandvoort, it was confirmed that Sainz had agreed a new multi-year Williams deal.

Following that announcement, Sainz was quizzed on the Audi F1 rumours by Autosport. He was asked whether leaving Williams for Audi was ever actually a possibility.

“No, it was just the usual paddock rumours,” he confirmed.

“I can confirm that this year I never seriously considered going anywhere else.”

In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com, Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto had acknowledged the Sainz rumours, saying it brings “credibility to our project” and shows it “is going in the right direction.”

More on Carlos Sainz from PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz interest proves Audi’s Formula 1 project is ‘heading in the right direction’

Williams ‘not fighting for much’ as Carlos Sainz makes Aston Martin claim

But, Sainz remains committed to Williams. To head for the exit as soon as things got tough would not have been in his nature.

“The usual process is that, before signing a contract, you always assess the overall situation,” said Sainz. “But when we put everything on the table, another aspect emerged that is very important to me: I’ve never liked leaving a team when it’s going through a difficult period.

“It’s not in my character to go somewhere else if the situation has become worse since I joined the team.

“When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments and, even though the one we’re going through now is particularly tough, I’m ready to accept it.

“Nobody in the team is happy with the current situation, and we’re all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But, as I said, it’s not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”

Sainz sits 16th in the current Drivers’ standings. His last points finish came in Montreal.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next – F1 2027 driver line-up: Which drivers are already confirmed for the 2027 grid?