F1 News
Sainz ‘in love’ with Vowles’ vision: “Made me really believe in Williams”
Looking ahead at the 2025 season, Williams Racing fresh signing, Carlos Sainz, has opened up on his choice to move to the Grove Street based team, and claims a McLaren championship winning vibe ‘deja vu’ was a factor behind his decision to drive under the leadership of the ever charismatic British team’s principal, James Vowles.
Sometimes things may not work out the way one wants them too, but that’s not always necessarily a bad thing. While Carlos Sainz was keen on renewing his commitment with Ferrari, he was discarded by the Italian team to accommodate Lewis Hamilton, so the Spaniard had to find a new destination which ended up being Williams, the team that ultimately made him ‘fall in love’.
‘Vowels made Sainz fall in love with Williams’
In a behind the scenes video of his first day at Williams, Sainz revealed that while his decision was not made based on the short term prospect of a team’s performance, their 2025 performance was a very important part of it. "I was very focused in which team was going to be quicker in 2025. Who was generating more downforce? Who is finding out stuff that is going to make them quicker?," realising that two things should be at the core of his choice, "The project and the people."
From the moment Sainz was announced as a Williams driver, Chief James Vowles has been, according to the Spaniard himself, at the center of his decision. "He was forming a team with a vision, with a project, together with Dorilton (Capital, team owners, ed.), that I think is going to bring this team back to the front with very strong leadership, with a vision that immediately, from the beginning, made me, let’s say, fall in love with the project and trust his leadership."
Williams gave Sainz a McLaren championship vibe 'deja vu'
Having driven for the current Constructors' champions, McLaren, for two seasons in 2019 and 2021, before making the switch to Ferrari in 2021, Sainz recalls getting title vibes from the papaya team back then. "I remember when I left McLaren, I really thought there was really good people there, and that team could be World Champion in the future. McLaren ended up being World Champion last year, and I said: ‘Okay, I need to trust my instinct.'"
"I know Williams have a good project. They have the backing, and they have good people. And in the end, this combination of two things made me really believe in Williams and come and join you guys," the Spaniard concluded.
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