James Vowles reveals ’emotional swings’ after ‘whole pitlane’ wanted to sign Carlos Sainz

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Carlos Sainz has committed his immediate future to Williams after several months of speculation over where he will end up on the Formula 1 grid.

The Spaniard has signed a multi-year deal with Williams that will see him commit through 2025 and 2026, with an option to extend into the future.

Sainz is considered one of the top drivers on the grid having been one of the only drivers to upset Max Verstappen’s run of wins last season at the Singapore Grand Prix, while also taking victory at the Australian GP this year just weeks after he returned from appendix surgery.

Rumours over where he would end up were rife after Ferrari announced they would be not renewing his contract for 2024 in favour of Lewis Hamilton. Sainz was reportedly offered contracts from Sauber, Alpine and Williams, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently suggested he was an option for them.

Sainz was confirmed just a day after the Belgian GP, while Williams also put away speculation over whether they will be continuing with Logan Sargeant for the rest of the season.

Team principal James Vowles spoke of how difficult the last few months have been for the team in attempting to secure Sainz’s services, in a special video message to Williams fans.

James Vowles describes how hard it was to sign Carlos Sainz

Sainz has been in discussion with Williams for the last few months over a potential seat, as Vowles made him his number-one target to replace the underperforming Logan Sargeant.

As the Spaniard has been in hot demand, Vowles said it was a lot harder than simply offering him a seat as a stop-gap before potentially switching to a team further up the grid.

“We had to fight against fierce competition, near enough the whole pitlane wanted to sign him. In terms of the journey, it started many months ago and it took its twists and turns. If you had a camera on me for that period of time, you would have seen the emotional swings. There were moments where it was very close to happening and moments where were not strong enough to make it happen,” said Vowles.

“Across the last few weeks and months, he and I have formed a close relationship. One where he understands what we are doing and I understand far more about him. I think the fit is perfect.”

Carlos Sainz picks the best option for F1 future

Out of all the proposals that Sainz would have been given in the last couple of months, the move to Williams was likely the best one for his immediate F1 future.

The switch to Williams will be the first time he has made an F1 career move that puts him in an inferior car to the one he is currently racing with, although Sainz accepted that fate when shopping around for potential drives and ruling out a sabbatical.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

In the last couple of races, Alpine has committed a series of tactical errors and shown no pace in qualifying and the race, while there is uncertainty at the top of Audi after Mattia Binotto was installed as their new chief executive and technology officer.

It was reported that Sainz would be on a £8.5 million-a-year deal with Williams that contains a specific clause that enables him to leave Williams if he is offered a seat at either Mercedes or Red Bull.

Mercedes is expected to go with Andrea Kimi Antonelli for their driver lineup in 2025, but the team could initiate a swap with Sainz if they feel he is underperforming.