Williams workforce boss James Vowles has revealed he first approached Carlos Sainz a few potential drive with the workforce finally yr’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, effectively earlier than the Ferrari charger knew that Lewis Hamilton would substitute him on the Scuderia.
After months of hypothesis surrounding Sainz’s future, the mud settled on Monday with the announcement of a multi-year deal between the driving force and Williams.
The Spaniard had been courted by a number of groups, together with Sauber/Audi and Alpine, whereas additionally harboring hopes of a possible transfer to Pink Bull or Mercedes.
Nonetheless, it was Williams that secured Sainz’s signature. Vowles has emphasised that the workforce had recognized Sainz as their high goal months in the past and acted swiftly on their curiosity, even earlier than it was clear that the Ferrari driver can be obtainable.
“The dialog has been many months,” Vowles informed the media on Tuesday.
“It hasn’t been weeks, of which you have been aware of a few of it as a result of it has been a bit extra public than I might usually do with a driver dialogue, nevertheless it really began means again in Abu Dhabi final yr.”
To try to persuade Sainz to depart Maranello and transfer to Grove was an bold play by Vowles, even regardless of Williams’ improved observe efficiency in 2023.
“There’s just one driver I spoke to in Abu Dhabi final yr, just one, and it was Carlos, simply to be tremendous clear,” he defined.
“I did not unfold guess. I went for one driver that I believed would make the distinction.”
Nonetheless, Vowles’ hopes took successful on the again of Williams’ improvement struggles over the winter within the type of manufacturing delays and an chubby FW46 automotive.
“I believed, for full transparency, that we would not have the load on the automotive, and you do not know the numbers, but when we’d have been in a points-scoring place each weekend, I really assume it will have been a tougher selection for him [to stay] if Ferrari was extra on the rocks, and I did not know that it will be,” the Briton defined.
“My level was to place myself in essentially the most wise means potential for that. However efficiency drives every little thing. If you happen to’re within the factors you’ve gotten much more cellphone calls than should you’re not.”
However the workforce’s optimism was revived when out of the blue, Ferrari introduced its shock 2025 cope with Hamilton, a transfer that additionally took Vowles by full shock.
“I had no inkling in any respect. That was an entire shock to me.,” he mentioned.
“When Lewis was introduced, completely no concept. I knew Lewis had his coronary heart set there finally, however I additionally know the top of that deal, as a result of I used to be part of it, and I used to be knocked off my chair the day that that occurred.”
Vowles admitted that he solely thought of contingency plans in latest weeks when it regarded like Sainz would possibly select an alternative choice than Williams, which justified talks with Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon.
“I did not name or contact anybody else,” he defined. “Actually, the one time I did was later within the programme the place it grew to become very clear that Carlos might not be part of us.
“And at that time, I’ve acquired to guarantee that I put my eggs in a number of baskets to cowl it off. However he is conscious of once I did that, and it was very late on within the course of.”
Nonetheless, requested whether or not he was stunned that Pink Bull and Mercedes each handed on a possibility to signal Sainz, Vowles admitted that he was certainly shocked;
“If you’re in Pink Bull’s place the place you’ve acquired a Constructors’ Championship in danger, it’s at all times a tough choice. However sure, I might have Carlos alongside Max,” he mentioned.
“If you happen to’re in Mercedes, it’s a tough selection. However I believe they’ve swayed between not being aggressive – wherein case it is sensible to speculate sooner or later – to being very aggressive.
“Now, it’s a tougher choice as as to whether you spend money on identified entities or unknown. However that mentioned, if Mercedes have made that call, they’ve way more data than I do.
“It’s greater than possible that they’re very assured with the path that they’ll be travelling in. Whether or not that be Max or Kimi [Antonelli], I’m not sure.
“However my level is, they’re not fools. They’ve made this choice sensibly.
“And if Pink Bull have determined to do that, once more, there’s causes behind it that I gained’t concentrate on, as a result of they’re a number of World Champions.
“So, they don’t make choices flippantly. However I used to be stunned to reply your query.”
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