Steiner expresses surprise as Sainz opts for Williams F1 over rivals, hinting at influential clauses.
Günther Steiner was surprised to see Carlos Sainz choose Williams F1 for the 2025 season over Audi, who had also made him an offer. The former Haas director explains that this decision could complicate recruitment for Audi, as a driver’s choice of another team might cast doubts on the team’s credibility.
“I would say I am surprised, not shocked. I’m no longer shocked; it takes a lot to shock me. I’m somewhat surprised,” he stated on the Red Flag podcast. “But as I’ve previously said about the Audi team, if you bring in a Carlos Sainz and they have Carlos Sainz and Nico Hülkenberg, it attracts other major talents.”
“It shows that you are serious, you’ve done everything you can to have the best elements. Then, people think, ‘wow, Carlos and Nico are going to be driving for this team next year, that’s cool’. And that makes you want to join. And now that Carlos has decided to go to Williams, people are wondering whether they should go to Audi.”
Steiner thinks the Spaniard discussed with both teams before making his choice, having demanded the freedom to make short-term decisions. And Williams certainly gave him more assurances than Audi at this level, according to the Italian.
“He probably asked them, ‘What are you offering me? How will it work?’ He spoke with both teams. I don’t think Williams will pay more than Audi. And for Carlos, it’s not just about the money. It’s about where he will be in two years, three years, maybe more?”
“At Williams, they might have told him, ‘you know, you can leave after 2026 if we are in a bad position at the time of the big change’. At Audi, they might have said, ‘you must stay at least three years in total’.”
“And maybe he didn’t want to do that. Because in 2026, when the cards are reshuffled with completely new cars, completely new engines, perhaps the field will be completely mixed again.”
“And he says, ‘I want to have the freedom to leave at the end of 2026’. But on the other hand, if you’re Audi, you simply say, ‘we will offer this contract because we are convinced that in 2026, we will be good.'”
“But you can’t say, ‘I don’t really know where we will be in 2026, we will need 2027 to be sure that we are good’. You have to say, ‘we will be good from 2026 but if that’s not the case, you can leave’. I mean, guess what? If the person who runs Audi at the end of the year 26 isn’t good, he won’t have a job anyway.”
Steiner is convinced that James Vowles, the director of Williams, had several strong arguments: “He obviously needs to see greatness and development. James would have told him what to expect and it’s clear he liked it. But James is also smart enough to say, ‘if we are bad, you can leave at the end of 2026’.”
“Because if they are bad at the end of 2026, I don’t know if James will still be there and then you are in a bad situation anyway. So he’s convinced that they will be good in 2026. That’s what they have to do, there’s a clause stating that if they are performing well, he can’t leave.”
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Sainz Chooses Williams F1, Steiner Puzzled Sainz Chooses Williams F1, Steiner Puzzled
