The uncompromising Williams vision that Sainz was sold

By landing Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon, Williams is confident it has one of the strongest line-ups in Formula 1. What is the vision that Sainz and Albon have signed up for?

Speaking days before Sainz’s deal was announced, team boss James Vowles shared a conversation he and the Spaniard had about the Ferrari driver’s long delay in finally picking a team for 2025.

“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 my soul, 100% – and to do that means I can’t have any doubts’.”

Sainz ended up turning down the work-in-progress factory drivers at Audi and Alpine for an even bigger work-in-progress at Williams, which Vowles is rebuilding from the ground up.

So what is the vision that has swayed Sainz to commit the prime of his career to Williams, which has scored just four points this season?

“The fact he chose us about all else is a huge, monumental decision,” Vowles said. “We have to be straightforward. Alpine are ahead of us on points this year. They were ahead of us last year as well. I recognise all of that.

“What he’s not buying into is 2025; what he’s buying into is, what can we provide over the next two years, and what’s the direction of travel?

“It is monumental to beat these two incredible organisations [to Sainz’s signature], but what Carlos recognised from us, and much of it you won’t see, is what we’re changing on the inside.

“I believe that’s what’s won it from the beginning, I gave him warts and all; here’s what’s going to happen. We are going to go backwards. Here’s why, here’s what we’re investing in. Here’s why I’m excited by this project, and it’s your choice if you want to be a part of it.

“I know that we will have success in the future, and I know it’s going to cost us in the short term, and I’m confident that honesty and transparency have paid off.”

Vowles has unapologetically focused all his attention on 2026 and has been given the crystal clear mandate from Dorilton to ensure the team is in the strongest possible position then, weeding out short-term thinking that leads to taking shortcuts, which will only come back to haunt the team on the long term.

That has meant a ground-up rebuild of the team’s processes after years of underinvestment, and a huge recruiting spree which is still ongoing to bolster its Grove facilities, which…