Williams Team Principal Sees Perfect Match in Carlos Sainz

ALBERT PARK, Australia — Williams Team Principal James Vowles expressed strong confidence in Carlos Sainz, citing the driver’s work ethic as an ideal fit for the team. Vowles shared his insights during a media briefing at the Australian Grand Prix, emphasizing the synergy between Sainz and Williams.

With a decade of experience in Formula 1, Sainz has built a reputation for maximizing team resources and performance. However, according to Vowles, the dynamics have shifted in Sainz’s new role. “Genuine story, he came to me and said, ‘I normally work the teams hard but can you stop the team working me as hard’ because it’s the other way around,” Vowles noted.

Vowles acknowledged the dedication of the Williams team, describing it as a significant asset. “Williams has many faults; I’ve spoken openly about some of them. But one thing it doesn’t have as a fault is a tremendous amount of passion and the people,” he said. “There are people in this industry in my company that I am so fortunate to have, that with all their heart, they want this team to be successful again. It means that they will work every hour. I have to send them home, not the other way around.”

He further emphasized that Sainz’s work ethic aligns perfectly with the team’s commitment to improvement. “And the result of that is that Carlos’ work ethic actually works hand-in-hand with what we have. It really is a perfect match made in heaven,” Vowles added.

During practice sessions, Sainz showcased his skills by leading FP1 before being overtaken by Lando Norris in the final moments. In FP2, both Sainz and teammate Alex Albon placed 11th and 12th respectively, posting identical lap times of 1m 17.302s, falling 0.863 seconds short of Charles Leclerc.

Since taking over in January 2023, Vowles has openly discussed the challenges facing Williams. He outlined key areas for improvement, stating, “What we’re missing is a few things. One, there is still some infrastructure that we’ve absolutely got to get up to the right level.”

Vowles also mentioned the need for the team to understand contemporary benchmarks in Formula 1, saying, “There is also a little bit of a lack of knowledge of what current absolute benchmark excellence in F1 looks like, and we have to educate ourselves in that regard.”

Despite these challenges, he believes in the team’s potential. “I think what you’re seeing as a result of things is a team that wants to change, it wants to adapt, it wants to get back to winning, and it will work hard towards getting there,” Vowles concluded.