Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles has revealed Alex Albon “encouraged” him to sign Carlos Sainz, as he quashed concerns about the team’s drivers clashing on track.
The Grove-based squad secured a coup last term as it beat rivals Alpine and Sauber/Audi to Sainz’s signature, the then-Ferrari driver being cast aside for Lewis Hamilton.
Sainz has arrived at Williams with race-winning pedigree, having taken two victories in his last campaign with Ferrari as it came second in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Spaniard has slotted in alongside the incumbent Albon, who has rebuilt his reputation since Red Bull dropped him and he spent a season on the sidelines in 2020.
Sainz is poised to showcase the real level that Albon has reached, with predecessors Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant not providing a true competitive benchmark.
But Vowles has insisted that Albon, realising that Sainz’s experience can elevate the team, has welcomed being pitted against an established F1 race winner.
“What I love about Alex is he’s a leader,” Vowles told Autosport.
“When things get difficult, he pulls forward, irrespective of what the circumstances are, and lifts the team back up to emotional strength.
“He was the one encouraging us to get Carlos into the building because he’s not worried about a challenge, he wants us to be successful. He’s had a frustrating year himself.
“Reflecting on all that, Alex is the driver that I know he can be and I think next year he’ll reset, start again and he’ll be strong from the beginning.”
Vowles not concerned by potential clashes
Vowles, though, isn’t worried that Albon’s desire to prove his credentials, coupled with Sainz being a hardened racer, will result in collisions that hamper the squad’s growth.
“What I see with Carlos, does he fight hard? Yes. But is it clean? Also yes,” said Vowles. “It’s very clean racing.
“They’re not doing it by knocking the wheels off each other’s cars. They’re doing it by, if one of them is faster than the other one, they can race.
“And we’re in that situation as well. What I’ve always had a rule of is, it’s fair to race.
“It’s no problem to race, but you don’t hit each other, you don’t push each other off track. You do it as a sportsman, you do it clean, respecting the brand that you’re representing.
“When I look at [Sainz and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari], there was some radio jibber-jabber across the last few races.
“That’s normal. One driver will always be frustrated by what it is.
“But as long as you create the right environment where they know this is the way we can race each other… And there will be points where I say, you can’t.
“We need to bring this result home. Because the result is more important than where you individually finish.That’s a very different situation to be dealing with.
“But if you have two drivers pushing each other, it’s typically that you’re getting the absolute most out of them.
“What is great about Carlos is, despite his future being different to what it is today, you’re seeing Carlos fight for everything. And that’s one of the strengths he has.”
Williams won’t have political games
Vowles’ trust in that not becoming an issue derives from his credence that neither driver will engage in political games in an individual pursuit to obtain the upper hand.
“One of the elements that are great with Carlos and Alex is that neither one has any politics, they don’t have a political bone, they just want the car to be quick and they want to perform the best that we can within that environment,” he explained.
“They both know the challenges of ’25, but the real crux of it is looking forward to what we have in 2026 together.
“So what I’m expecting is insights into where we’re strong during the week to what I already believe and what Alex already believes.
“What I’m expecting is leadership that with just a few words is able to lead the team in the right direction as we’re moving forward as an organisation.
“What I’m expecting is an individual that will give me everything when any given race begins, because we’re here to make this team successful.”
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