Carlos Sainz Was Finicky About Williams, and What James Vowles Did to Deal With It

It was at the Canadian GP when James Vowles publically claimed Carlos Sainz to be his #1 target. However, the proper negotiations started way back when Lewis Hamilton announced his Ferrari move. Vowles now reveals why it took Sainz this long and why the Spaniard was finicky about the move.

On the F1 Nation podcast, Tom Clarkson asked Vowles if he lost faith when Sainz was being finicky about deciding over Williams with several other teams chasing him.

Vowles said, “I think there were definitely moments where he was closer to making a decision and other moments where situations changed and he moved away from making a decision.”

Sainz was reportedly approached by multiple teams and rightly so, as he was the most sought-after driver on the market. Mercedes, Red Bull, Audi, and Alpine were all rumored to be in Sainz’s contact at different points over the last six months. 

Towards the end, the 29-year-old had the options of Audi, Alpine, and Williams remaining. With Sainz taking his time, Vowles didn’t want to be left hanging. That is why, he approached other options like Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon.

Yet, he continued to be in contact with Sainz. The Williams boss asked the Spaniard to be honest with a timeline so that he could decide about the other options. Eventually, Sainz ended up signing with Williams only. However, it took some honest conversations about where the Grove-based team is at.

Sainz and Vowles’ honest exchange that sealed the Williams deal

Sainz was linked to top teams and had to settle for what is essentially a backmarker. Vowles explained how he was able to do it — by asking Sainz to be completely honest with him. The Spaniard explained to the Williams boss how the decision was difficult for him.

At one end, he had Audi — which is part of the biggest manufacturing group — Volkswagen and also won the Dakar with his father. On the other hand, he had Alpine which is another manufacturer team that won a race in 2021. Meanwhile, Williams have not even got regular podiums on merit for over half a decade.

Regardless, Vowles honestly gave the Spaniard an insight into what’s happening within the team regarding infrastructure upgrades, car performance, and personnel hiring. The 45-year-old wanted someone who’d commit to the long-term project.

Sainz understood Vowles’ position, took his time, and made the move. The Williams boss also saw a leader in Sainz and he expects the Spaniard to take the team back to winning ways.