Williams’ Strategic Pursuit: The Inside Story of How Carlos Sainz Was Signed

Williams discloses the timing of their initial overture to Carlos Sainz

James Vowles, the head of Williams, disclosed that he made his first overture to Carlos Sainz the previous year.

James Vowles, the team principal for Williams, disclosed that he initially reached out to Carlos Sainz to discuss the possibility of him joining the team during the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

On Monday, the team revealed that starting in 2025, Sainz would become a part of their lineup under a multi-year contract, after Ferrari chose to fill the Spaniard's spot with Lewis Hamilton, who is departing from Mercedes.

Over the past few months, Sainz considered various possibilities before ultimately deciding on Williams, rather than teams such as Sauber/Audi or Alpine.

During a digital press conference with journalists including those from Crash.net on Tuesday, Vowles revealed that initial discussions with Sainz occurred prior to the public disclosure of his departure from Ferrari.

"We've been in discussions for several months," Vowles stated.

"The discussions didn't just start a few weeks ago, some of which you might have noticed since they've been more out in the open than usual for talks with a driver. In reality, they began quite some time ago, going all the way back to last year in Abu Dhabi."

Vowles was adamant that Sainz, whom he regarded as among the top four racers – occasionally even the second best on the track, was consistently the prime candidate for Williams.

"In Abu Dhabi last year, I had a conversation with just a single driver, and that was Carlos, to put it plainly,” he mentioned. “I didn't hedge my bets. I chose a specific driver who I believed would stand out."

Vowles was optimistic that Williams' ascent to the seventh position in the F1 constructors' standings last year would have strengthened their case in convincing Sainz to come on board.

Yet, he acknowledged that 2024 began challenging for Williams due to an initially overweight car, which significantly impacted them.

He mentioned, for the sake of full disclosure, that they didn't anticipate the car's weight issue and were unaware of the specific figures. However, had they consistently been in a position to score points throughout the season, he believes the decision [for him to remain] would have been tougher, especially if Ferrari's situation had been more unstable, which was something he hadn't foreseen.

"My objective was to strategically place myself in the most logical manner for that situation. However, performance is the key to everything. Being in a favorable position means you receive significantly more phone calls compared to when you're not."

Vowles admitted he was completely unaware and utterly surprised that Hamilton would unexpectedly transition from Mercedes to Ferrari, characterizing the move as a total astonishment to him.

"When they revealed Lewis, it was a complete surprise to me," he continued. "I was aware that Lewis was aiming for that position at some point, but I was also privy to how that arrangement concluded, being involved myself. The day it occurred, it completely took me by surprise."

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