Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles has disclosed that tentative conversations with Carlos Sainz to sound out a switch to the team in 2025 began last December.
The Grove-based squad announced on Monday that it has beaten competition from the Sauber/Audi venture and Alpine to land Sainz’s coveted services next season.
Sainz’s prospects past the current campaign had dominated the F1 driver market since it was revealed that he would lose his Ferrari place to Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
But the Spaniard has brought an end to the elongated saga with the decision to turn down Alpine and Sauber/Audi’s advances to sign a multi-term deal with Williams.
Vowles has revealed his initial approach to Sainz came at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, prior to Ferrari deciding to attempt an audacious move to acquire Hamilton.
“I think the first thing is the conversation has been many months,” Vowles explained.
“It hasn’t been weeks, of which you’ve been privy to some of it, because it’s been a bit more public than I would normally do with a driver discussion.
“But actually started way back in Abu Dhabi last year.”
Vowles explained that he was honest to Sainz about the issues Williams is combating in the short term with an overweight car that has it placed second last overall.
However, the Briton is certain that the plans he has in place to propel the Grove-based squad back to the top is what encouraged Sainz to hedge his bets on Williams.
“The message I gave to him and his family at the time is no different to the message I gave him last weekend in Spa and I believe that’s what’s won it,” he continued.
“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 what’s coming, here’s why I’m excited by this project, and it’s your choice, very much, if you want to be a part of it.
“But 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 that honesty and transparency has paid off,
and what you see is a slice in time, what you’ve described, honestly, is a slice in time.
“It was worse than I expected it to be, as I said on Sunday morning with all of you, as much as there was more weight on the car.
“But the actual aerodynamic performance of the car is in a reasonable place, we’ve just got to shed that weight off it so that we can start fighting up the front.
“I think what Carlos sees is what you need in the circumstance that he’ll be in, is strong leadership, and I’m not describing myself,
“I’m using his words, it’s very big-headed of me to describe any otherwise, and it’s not one person, it’s a team, and the right investment to go forward, and he can see that with us.”
Vowles has divulged that Sainz was the sole driver that he interacted with back then as he strived to sell the Williams venture should the Spaniard become available.
“There’s only one driver I spoke to in Abu Dhabi last year, only one, and it was Carlos,” he divulged. “Just to be super clear, I didn’t spread bets.
“I went for one driver that I thought would make the difference. I also thought, for complete transparency, that we wouldn’t have to wait on the car.
“And if you don’t know the numbers, but we would have been a point-scoring position if we can.
“I actually think it would have been a more difficult choice for him if Ferrari was more on the rocks. And I didn’t know that it would be.
“My point more was to position myself in the most sensible way possible for that.
“Again, performance drives everything. If you’re in the points, you have a lot more phone calls than if you’re not.”
Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas was also linked with the seat next to Alex Albon, but Vowles has clarified that was a move taken as a precaution in case Sainz went elsewhere.
“I didn’t call or contact anyone else,” he stated. “In fact, the only time I did was later in the programme, where it became very clear that Carlos may not join us.
“And at that point, I’ve got to make sure that I put my eggs in multiple baskets to cover it off. But he’s aware of when I did that. And it was very late on in the process.
“And the reason why I did that, and it’s the same with the public element of things, is I strongly believe in what we’re doing here.
“I think all of you that know me well enough know that you can look me in the eyes and I’ll give you an honest answer that I really do believe in what we’re doing.”
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