Vowles: “Odds are in our favour” on Williams signing Sainz

Vowles is pretty confident that Williams will get the nod from Sainz

Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles says “the odds are in our favour” in terms of the chances of signing Carlos Sainz for 2025 and beyond.

He also indicated that an announcement could come as early as next week, before the summer break, after he drew a “line in the sand” in terms of the decision process.

Sainz has been considering his options since Ferrari announced that he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025, with Audi, Alpine and Williams the three choices that he had been considering in recent weeks.

Management changes at the first two, plus Alpine’s plan to use customer engines from 2026, have given him extra food for thought.

Vowles is convinced that Williams is now the favourite to land him.

“More than 50%, how’s that?,” he said when asked what the chances were of securing the Spaniard.

“How confident am I? I think the odds are in our favour, but I’ve been stung by this already once this year. So let’s see.”

Regarding the possibility of a driver announcement in the coming week he said: “Tentatively, yes. I think I’ve already said before, going into summer break, yes. And I think there’s a there’s a line in the sand that I’ve created, and I hope it’s one that we remain within.”

Vowles has long stressed that Sainz is the team’s number one target, with Valtteri Bottas the likely Plan B.

“I’m open minded, but I want excellence within the team,” he said. “I want race-winning performance within the team. I want individuals that are leaders. In other words, they’re established.

“So out of all those, the top of the list, I’ve said it from the start, I’ll maintain it here now as well, is Carlos.

“In adversity last year, he won a race, and he did it in a bloody intelligent way, against some of the best individuals, that includes Lando and Charles. He beat them in the circumstances.

“I know he had a pretty poor qualifying yesterday, but look at Q1 and Q2 he’s there or thereabouts. He brings excellence along with him. And I’ve said it once, and I keep saying it, that is where my heart is set, and let’s see if the journeys collide.”

Vowles stressed that he has worked hard to convince Sainz to come on board.

“It’s interesting conversations he and I have had pretty late into a few nights, and we present it from both sides,” he said.

“My perspective is this. I know I wear Williams shirt, but I believe so much in what we’re doing. That’s why I left Mercedes to come here.

“I believe in everything we are doing here, and I’m in it day-to-day, and I can see the changes day to day.

“With Carlos, he can’t see much of that. What he looks at is what you can see externally. Where are you, where have you qualified? Why did you have a bad race here? What’s going on here?”

Vowles admitted that Audi’s offer is tempting for Sainz: “He has one of the largest OEMs in the world chasing him. That’s hard to turn down, an OEM that his father has won with.

“At the same time, he has a team [Alpine] that has, let’s be clear about it, historically, beaten us, fundamentally, and again, that becomes hard to turn down. They won races not that long ago, or won a race not that long ago [Hungary 2021].

“But irrespective, I can see that perspective on things. Here’s what he told me, which actually resonated the most – ‘the reason why I’m doing this is when I commit, I need to commit with all my heart, and all my soul, 100% and to do that means I can’t have any doubts.’ And that’s why it’s taking the time. And that resonated with me a lot.”

Expanding on Sainz’s decision process he said: “He’s a very sensible chap. Whatever happens with Audi, they are an OEM, they’ll pour what is required financially into this to make it successful. 

“And I think change there? I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. I’m not enough in the team to be able to know it, but I don’t think that’s necessarily resonating.

“Remember, he’s looking at the long term, what’s the right long term solution, and with Alpine, they’ll take an amount of pain, and then they’ll have an amount of success from it as well.

“At the same time, I think he’s trying, as you all are as well, to weigh up what the options are. I’m biased.

“We’re a stable management here. We have no changes ongoing, and we have a hell of a lot of investment in the background. This is why, for me, it’s an easy decision for him.”