Williams explain how sensitive car data tempted Carlos Sainz

James Vowles shares secrets o💟f how he convinced Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz

Williamsᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ have explained how they convinced Carlos Sainz to join, after sharing sensitive information abo𒅌ut their car.

The decision for outgoing Ferrar𒁃i driver and grand prix winner Sainz to pen a long-term deal with Williams is🐎 a major coup for the British team.

𝕴Discussions which began in A⛄bu Dhabi last year evolved into brutally honest discussions about Williams’ progression - and the ‘compromises’ that Sainz must sign up for.

Team principal James Vowles told the F1 Nation podcast: “I gave him quite accurate weight figures, from where the car is overweight. So he can go back and calculate where the🤪 car would have been.

“F🌌or the world, it meant we would’ve been point-scoring at every ra🏅ce, particularly at the beginning of the year.

“That’s paᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚinful for me. But it’s also a sign of performance added to the car.

“Weight can be removed, and we are removing it. It’s hard to add real, tangiblღe aerodynamic performance.

“Weight is just a function, I’ve done it 100 times in m🎀y career. Add three kilos, it’s about three tenths. Take off three kilos, it’s about three tenths. He knows that, he can see it.

“He put together ‘this is whe🍬re you are performance-wise’ which allows him a clearer view of whe🎉re the performance is. That was encouraging.

“ꦏI showed him where we are investing in the future in a lightweight way, I couldn’t give him the in-depth.

“He knew about all the people we are signing. There are more w❀h♔o we haven’t announced.

“I took him thr🐟ough why we’re changing what we’re changing, why it will take time, why 2024ജ is a compromise. 2025 is a compromise as well which was a difficult position for him because he’s highly competitive and doesn’t want to be on the back foot.

“But here’s why 2026 is exciting…”

Sainz will replace Logan Sargeant and form an excitin🐼g duo with Alex Albon in 2025.

'No politics; we have one of best line-ups'

Vowles explained how he informed his 1,000-strong workfo𒊎rce of the major accomplishmen🧜t to sign Sainz, ahead of Sauber and Alpine.

“We set up a projector screen with a TV,” Vowles said. “I walkဣed in, Netflix were with me❀. Six hundred to 700 people in there.

“I said ‘it’s best that you watch the screen’. I’ve had the pleasure of winn💦ing races and championships.

“I promise you, the reaction to this was the most emotional I’ve seen in ꦉmy Formula 1 career. It was extraordinary.

“The shouting, screaming…

“Carlos did a piece to camera of a minute-and-a-half. They missed the first minute! There was screaming🎉 ongoing.

“That, alone, told me what it meant to those individuals. I followed up by walkin𒐪g around to ask people what it means.

“It’s a statement of intent, a ﷺclear statement of intent. We are investing at the right level. We have one of - if not the - best driver line-ups on the grid as a combination.

“There are no politics. They aꦜre both just performance machines.”

Vowles added: ൩“The second thing it meant to the team is the more important t🔯hing.

“Carlos is quick, I knew from the outset. But he’s a performance machine - he wants thousands of details to be at the right level for him to perform, and give back to the team. He☂ wants the team to be better.

“It’s no coincidence that every team he’s been at has improved after his tenure. I can see why aft🌼er many months of talking to him.

“𝕴The conclusion that ♏the factory came to was: we have got to step up our game, as well.

“Not ending up with a floor isn’t good enough. We need three floors deliver🐼ed at the right standard. We need everything in advance. The performance must match the driver line-up we have.”

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