Two years ago, Carlos Sainz had a choice.
Ferrari had just announced Lewis Hamilton was taking his seat. Sainz was a free agent, a four-time Grand Prix winner, and one of the most sought-after drivers on the grid. Audi came calling. Mattia Binotto — his former Ferrari boss, a man who knows exactly what Sainz is capable of — made him an offer. Even his father, Carlos Sainz Senior, reportedly wanted him to take it.
Sainz said no. He chose Williams instead.
At the time, it made sense. Williams were on the rise. They had Mercedes power. They had James Vowles rebuilding the team from the ground up. They finished fifth in the 2025 constructors’ championship. The future looked bright.And then 2026 happened.Williams arrived at the opening race overweight and uncompetitive. They missed pre-season testing. After seven rounds they are 251 points behind Mercedes. Sainz is 14th in the drivers’ championship with six points. At Barcelona he finished two laps down. Two laps. And Vowles has now admitted the team won’t realistically be fighting at the front until 2028.Sainz is 31 years old. He doesn’t have until 2028.So now the rumours are swirling. Multiple sources are reporting that Sainz is questioning his Williams future. Audi — led by Binotto, backed by one of the biggest manufacturers in the world, and making a reasonable start to their first F1 season — are reportedly back in the conversation. The deal he walked away from two years ago is apparently back on the table.And this time, Williams have given him every reason to take it.Because here’s the question. Was Sainz right to choose Williams over Audi in the first place? And if he leaves now — if he walks away from a team he helped rebuild — does it mean Williams are in even more trouble than anyone thought?
