Williams has disclosed that it initially reached out to Carlos Sainz regarding a potential F1 drive during the Abu Dhabi event last year, before the news of Lewis Hamilton’s replacement became public.
After months filled with speculation about Sainz’s future, it was officially announced on Monday that he has signed a contract with Williams that secures his position for a minimum of two years.
This announcement followed Sainz exploring offers from Sauber/Audi and Alpine, while also nurturing hopes for opportunities with Red Bull or Mercedes.
However, his choice to sign with Williams came after team principal James Vowles revealed that Sainz had been his top target for several months, and discussions had begun even before the confirmation of Sainz’s departure from Ferrari at the end of this season.
“The conversations have spanned many months,” Vowles clarified during a call with media on Tuesday.
“It hasn’t been merely weeks. Some details were more public than I typically prefer in driver discussions, but the conversation actually began way back in Abu Dhabi last year.”
At that time, Sainz did not seem to be available on the market, and many anticipated that he would remain at Ferrari until 2025. Vowles explained that he reached out at the F1 finale because he believed he had a legitimate chance to persuade Sainz.
“I only spoke to one driver in Abu Dhabi last year, and that was Carlos—just to be perfectly clear,” he explained.
“I didn’t diversify my efforts; I targeted one driver that I believed would make a significant impact.”
Vowles is optimistic that, following Williams’ seventh-place finish in the constructors’ championship last year, the team can demonstrate enough progress to entice Sainz to leave Ferrari.
James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams Racing
Photo by: Williams
However, those aspirations were dampened when Williams’ 2024 season began negatively, attributed to its car’s overweight issues.
“To be completely transparent, I anticipated we wouldn’t face weight issues, and while I can’t reveal specific numbers, if we had been consistently in points-scoring positions, it would have likely made the decision more challenging for him [to stay], particularly if Ferrari were struggling; I just couldn’t know that at the time,” he remarked.
“My intention was to prepare myself as sensibly as possible for that scenario. But ultimately, performance dictates everything. Being in the points generates many more calls than not being there.”
It wasn’t until the announcement of Hamilton’s Ferrari deal for 2025 in February that Vowles felt his prospects of acquiring Sainz had significantly improved.
When asked if he had prior knowledge of Hamilton’s situation, Vowles replied: “I had no idea. That was completely unexpected for me.”
“When Lewis’s announcement occurred, I was totally caught off guard. I was aware that Lewis had aspirations for that seat eventually, but I also knew about the end of that contract because I was involved with it, and I was left speechless the moment it happened.”
While Vowles did engage in discussions with other drivers recently, including Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon, he clarified that those conversations were prompted by concerns that the Sainz deal might fall through.
“I didn’t reach out to anyone else,” Vowles emphasized. “In fact, my contact with others only happened later on when it became evident that Carlos’s potential joining us was uncertain.”
He continued, “At that point, I had to ensure I had multiple options covered. But Carlos knew exactly when I did that, and it was quite late in the process.”
Despite circulating rumors suggesting that one of Sainz’s conditions for signing with Williams was a release clause that would permit him to join Red Bull or Mercedes if a seat became available, Vowles clarified that no such provision exists.
When asked about the rumors regarding an exit clause that had been reported, Vowles stated, “Only ten individuals in the world know the specifics of the contract—just ten.”
“I can assure you that none of you on this call are among them, nor is anyone at this company, especially those seated around me at the moment. Only Carlos’s camp and I are aware of the details. So, anything you’ve read online is mere speculation.”
“The commitment to 2025 and 2026 and beyond was not something I communicated; that was Carlos wanting it to be made abundantly clear to everyone that he is committed and intends to be here.”
