Carlos Sainz has made a monumental decision by choosing Williams over Audi or Alpine for the 2025 Formula 1 season, according to James Vowles, the team boss. Sainz has ended speculation about his future by signing a long-term contract to race alongside Alex Albon at Williams. Although Alpine and Sauber/Audi were also in the running for Sainz’s services, he ultimately chose Williams. Sauber was initially seen as the frontrunner, especially with the appointment of Sainz’s former Ferrari boss, Mattia Binotto, to lead the Audi project. However, Sainz has decided to place his long-term bets on Williams. Vowles, who achieved multiple titles with Mercedes, considers persuading Sainz to reject Audi as one of his greatest achievements. He believes that having two of the best drivers in the world at Williams is a sign of great things to come and a testament to the team’s investment in talent. Vowles expressed immense pride in beating a major global manufacturer and emphasized that Sainz’s decision is a monumental one for Williams.
Williams has slipped to ninth place in the championship this season due to an overweight car, but Vowles is confident that Sainz has made his decision based on the long-term prospects.
“Additionally, we need to be transparent,” he added. “Alpine has outperformed us in terms of points this year.
“They were also ahead of us in points last year. I acknowledge all of this.
“What Sainz is not investing in is the current standing of 25th place. Instead, he is considering what we can offer in the next two years and the overall direction we are heading in.
“This year, we find ourselves in ninth place. Is that where I believe we should be? Not if the car was at the weight limit, but that responsibility falls on us.
“No one else is to blame as we adapt to new technologies. However, what excites me is that we have consistently been in tenth place since ’21 and ’22.
“As for ’23, do I believe we should have been in seventh place? I think we were fortunate because AlphaTauri [now RB] was exceptionally fast towards the end.
“It ultimately came down to a strategic decision that determined whether we finished eighth or seventh.
“We experienced significant drops in points, but only at a few events. What I aim to achieve is a car that performs well in all conditions, with a strong foundation behind it.
“As I have stated before, this may come at a short-term cost but will yield long-term benefits. That is the direction we are heading in.
“It is a monumental task to surpass these two organizations, as they are both highly impressive in their own right.
“We must not underestimate them. The moment we do, is the moment we lose to them in the championship.
“But what Carlos has recognized from us, much of which remains unseen and will never be seen, unfortunately, is the internal changes we are making, and that is truly exciting.”
