James Vowles Confesses Carlos Sainz Pursuit Was “A Little Bit Like Dating”

James Vowles never kept his desire to sign Carlos Sainz a secret, but his effort to make it happen remained unknown until recently. The Williams team principal admitted to talking to several drivers for a seat in 2025, but no one had his attention quite like Sainz.

On the F1 Nation podcast, Vowles compared his negotiations with Sainz were “a little bit like dating”. He said, “So we had a first coffee, lovely date. Then, light texting, as you do. A little bit of flirting. And then really, the conversation, after Lewis [Hamilton’s Ferrari move] happened.” 

Vowles first spoke to Sainz after the 2023 Abu Dhabi GP, when Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari had not been announced yet. Still, Vowles approached him and asked him to consider a move to Williams.

The 45-year-old added that his conversations with Sainz kept getting more intense every month. “It really went from a point of a few phone calls and a few texts the last few weeks, we spent some really good evenings together, whether he was going to be here or not.” 

Vowles also spoke about being in a hotel with Sainz in Austria, where they escaped from a soccer match together, to find a private area to chat in.

Thankfully for Vowles, his efforts were not in vain. Last week, Sainz announced he would join Williams on a multi-year deal.

BREAKING: Carlos Sainz to join Williams Racing from 2025#F1 pic.twitter.com/3O3ROhrEES

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2024

Now, Vowles can focus on making the team’s performance better on the track.

What Vowles told Sainz to sign him

Vowles approached Sainz when the latter still thought his future would be at Ferrari. As a backmarker, trying to sign a top driver from a top team was an audacious move, but Vowles was clear and honest.

He did not promise Sainz that Williams would become a championship contender in two years. He told Sainz they could make strides in 2025 or 2027 — there was not a surety.

In the end, it was this direct nature of negotiations, that convinced Sainz to join. The Madrid-born driver had Sauber, Alpine, and Williams to choose from — all three teams were struggling. He went in the direction of a stable, whose Team Principal he believed in.