Carlos Sainz’s driver-market dilemma predictably garners plenty of attention in season seven of Drive to Survive, which released on Friday morning. Episode four focuses entirely on the Spaniard’s choice.
Sainz found out in the winter that Ferrari wouldn’t renew his contract. But it wasn’t until the start of the summer break that his Williams move became official.
Much of the grid was waiting for Sainz to make a decision before they resolved their own futures. Mercedes were always focused on Kimi Antonelli, while Red Bull also ruled out a move.
With Racing Bulls and Haas both unrealistic and seats already filled elsewhere, Sainz was left choosing between Williams, Audi and Alpine. Flavio Briatore’s squad made a late push to sign him but came up short.
Sainz has signed for an initial two years at Williams, giving him the option to leave at the end of 2026 if he’s not satisfied with the team’s progress following the regulation changes. He can then extend his stay if James Vowles lives up to his promises.
Sainz’s father won the Dakar Rally as an Audi driver, which may have strengthened their appeal. But they won’t take over at Sauber until next year.
Lando Norris wonders if Audi were a better long-term bet for Carlos Sainz
Episode four of Drive to Survive features a clip of Lando Norris, Sainz’s former teammate at McLaren, discussing his options with boss Zak Brown. They remain close friends five years after their partnership came to an end.
Norris’ view, having spoken to Sainz, was that Audi may be a better longer-term option. Mattia Binotto wants to win the title in 2030, and while that may be overly ambitious, they should have the resources to compete eventually.
Though they’ve recently secured a title sponsorship from Atlassian, Williams won’t be able to match Audi financially. But Sainz believes Mercedes will have the best engine in 2026, and that was another plus-point of Vowles’ offer.
| CATEGORY | WILLIAMS | SAUBER |
| Points | 17 | 4 |
| Q2 appearances | 19 | 15 |
| Q3 appearances | 8 | 2 |
| DNFs | 11 | 4 |
In the end, Sauber’s dismal 2024 showing may have counted against them. They didn’t score until the penultimate round of the season in Qatar, long after Sainz had made his choice.
“I spoke to Carlos yesterday,” Norris says. “Short term, Williams. Longer term, Audi. But then there’s more hope in Williams doing well.”
Drive to Survive shares Flavio Briatore’s brutal verdict on Carlos Sainz to Williams
Sainz wanted to exact ‘revenge’ over Ferrari during F1 testing, one observer says. He set the fastest lap in Bahrain, showing his old team what they were missing.
It’s highly likely that Williams were running lower fuel loads than their competitors. But it was still a stronger showing than many expected.
It seems the Grove outfit have a shot at being the ‘best of the rest’ behind the top four. If they achieve that status on track, Sainz’s move will look well-judged.
Alpine boss Briatore simply said ‘everybody makes mistakes’ when the Netflix crews asked him about the snub. The two teams will become Mercedes stablemates in 2026, potentially setting up a lasting rivalry.
