‘There’s a but’… James Vowles sends ‘sacrifice’ warning to Carlos Sainz ahead of Williams move

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Carlos Sainz is set to join Williams for the 2025 season and beyond after several months of deliberations between teams up and down the grid.

The Spaniard delayed much of the talks he was having due to the limited amount of options on the grid, while the driver market was also fairly unpredictable midway through the season.

Alpine made a late bid for Sainz and Sauber also appeared to be interested as they prepared for the transition to Audi in 2026.

After months of talks with James Vowles which he claimed caused ’emotional swings’ due to his demand, Sainz decided to join Williams given they look prosperous in the future.

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

Vowles was happy they could have a strong lineup with Sainz and Alex Albon, but he revealed there was a caveat to the deal he made with the Spaniard when speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

Williams to ‘sacrifice’ 2025 to focus on 2026 regulations

Sainz has been part of Ferrari since the 2021 season and will be used to regular upgrade packages, while Williams is usually more modest due to their budget constraints.

According to Vowles, when discussing the contract with Sainz he made clear their intentions for their car development path for the 2025 season.

“There’s good developments ongoing, just as a continuation of 2024 to 2025. There’s a but to it. Everything’s about 2026. So 2025 will be sacrificed,” said Vowles.

“What that looks like just depends on how, how keen others are to take the risks I’m taking.”

Williams want to get ahead of rivals with 2026 developments

Williams is likely to switch a lot of its focus on their 2026 challenger next year in a bid to get ahead of the curve on their rivals.

The final regulations have not been signed off yet due to a delay in talks between the teams and the FIA which are set to pick up later in October, but teams will be able to start work on the cars as early as January in the new year.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Sainz is joining Williams when they are still struggling to score points and their car next year is likely to be an evolution with minimal upgrades throughout the season.

Vowles has worked hard to improve their process behind the scenes, after admitting parts kept going missing in their factory due to poor management.