James Vowles hinted at the reason why Carlos Sainz agreed to join the midfield team at Williams after losing his seat at Ferrari. Vowles, the team boss at Williams, asserted that Sainz made a conscious decision to bet on Williams despite having other options such as Audi and Alpine for the upcoming season.
Williams, an iconic British team, has been in a major slump in Formula 1 for over a decade. They last won a race in 2012 and have been struggling at the back of the grid in recent years. This raised concerns among many about Sainz’s move to Williams from Ferrari.
Vowles, who himself made a similar move from Mercedes to Williams, highlighted that the rewards of moving forward from a midfield team are much greater than an occasional victory. He emphasized that Sainz was fully aware of the challenges and opportunities that came with joining Williams.
Sainz entered Formula 1 in 2015 with Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen. Despite being overshadowed by the young Verstappen, Vowles never underestimated Sainz and kept a close eye on him as he outperformed his teammates, including Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg.
Although fans were disappointed to see Sainz move to a midfield team next season, it could provide him with an opportunity to rebuild and bounce back with Williams. If he continues to perform well in 2025, the 29-year-old might even attract the attention of top teams.
Photo from James Vowles Instagram