Williams Racing Team Principal James Vowles has shared the journey behind securing Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season. Putting pen to paper with the Spaniard marks a moment of success for the team which has been struggling so far this season. But with plenty of work and investment happening off the track, the future is looking bright for the Grove outfit.
The announcement, made at the beginning of this week, outlines the multi-year engagement of Sainz, who will transition from Ferrari to join forces with Williams, alongside current driver Alex Albon. This deal places the British team in a formidable position against competitors like Audi and Alpine, who were also vying for Sainz’s skill behind the wheel after Lewis Hamilton confirmed he would be replacing him at the Scuderia team.
“If you’re going to go for an individual who’s going to make the difference, I’m not just focused on how quick he is in the car,” Vowles told the press.
“I’m focused on how he is as a personality. This also includes how his entourage is which includes Caco, his manager, and Carlos, his father.
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“His father is as performance-driven as Junior. He’s an incredible character. The three of them together come as a package, and that’s what we need here in Williams.
“The fit is absolutely perfect, and those are the exact words I told them from the very beginning to the very end of this journey.”
Digging deeper into how the contract came about, Vowles revealed that he wished he could have captured the conversations he had with his new driver.
“He and I have spent some evenings in various hotel locations, including his room, where we’ve had some of the best chats I’ve had because he’s just this fiery, performance-filled entity.
“I wish we could have sort of documented it and had a little camera and you would have seen it, it was great. It’s just brilliant. I wish you could be a fly on the wall to observe it.”
Vowles continued:
“He’s been pretty consistent in his messaging back. And my job back in return is to say here are the positives of Williams and here’s the difference. I’ve never changed on what those positives are.
“I’ve done it in a way that is not putting down other entities. I don’t believe that’s correct or right to do so.
“What he’s been doing in turn is seeing how some of those positives maybe don’t exist elsewhere. That’s probably the best way I can put it to you.”