James Vowles responds to talk about Sainz joining Williams: "Carlos who?!"

Having been linked with Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas in the same week, Williams team principal James Vowles has been hounded by the press in Monaco. Who will be lining up alongside Alex Albon, who has just secured his long-term future with the team from 2025? Logan Sargeant is under pressure, and Vowles spoke about negotiations with Sky Sports during FP2.

Vowles joked with Sky F1 when asked about the latest links with Carlos Sainz. He added: “The truth behind all of that is that you’re always talking to a number of drivers and those are the sort of chats that I’ll always keep between individual groups rather than the public." The Williams boss has been transparent to the media regarding Williams' movements in the driver market.

“If there’s anything discussed, we’ll make sure it comes out to the world pretty quickly, you’ll see. It's important to be forthright, open and honest with your drivers. There is pressure [on Sargeant] but there was pressure on his shoulders last year."

It's looking less likely that Logan Sargeant will partner with Alex Albon next year. The young American is on the brink of losing his seat if he doesn't improve his performances, and 18th place in FP2 compared to Albon's ninth won't fill Vowles with confidence.