Sainz Snubbed by Red Bull Mercedes: Details

Vowles reveals why F1’s leading teams are bypassing one of the grid’s elite drivers, Carlos Sainz.

James Vowles, the team principal of Williams F1, is puzzled why no top team has attempted to secure Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard will leave Ferrari at the end of the year, and both Mercedes F1 and Red Bull have an open spot. The Briton was surprised he could manage to secure a driver he considers one of the best on the grid.

“Yes, that’s the short answer to that question. Because I regard him as one of the top four drivers, if not, at times, number two on the grid. Why wouldn’t you want him on your team? Because my view is that fundamentally, competitors are increasingly closing the gap,” explains Vowles.

“Thus, the marginal difference a driver can make—and I’m not just talking in terms of performance—look at Carlos, look at all the teams he has been with. They have improved significantly.”

“And I understand why, after spending the last nine months talking to him at least once a week, if not daily in truth. Rachel, my partner, has been quite confused about our relationship compared to the one I had with Carlos! But what I’ve learned from him is that he is a performance machine.”

“He is ready to do everything within his power to transform himself, but also to transform the team around him. And that’s powerful. That’s worth more than what he can do behind the wheel of his car. That’s worth advancing the team in the same measure.”

Should Red Bull have signed Sainz?

Williams’ revelation came before the announcement about Sergio Pérez staying at Red Bull. As McLaren poses a serious threat to Red Bull’s lead in the constructors’ championship, Vowles stated he would have signed Sainz to partner with Max Verstappen.

“So, when you’re in Red Bull’s position where you have a constructors’ championship at risk, it’s always a tough decision to make. But yes, I would have signed Carlos alongside Max. If you’re at Mercedes, the choice is more challenging.”

“But I think they oscillated between not being competitive, in which case it makes sense to invest in the future, and being very competitive. Now, it’s a tougher decision than investing in known or unknown entities. That said, if Mercedes made this decision, they have far more information than I do.”

“It’s more than likely they are very confident in the direction they’re heading. Whether it’s Max or Kimi, I’m not sure. But what I mean is, they’re not foolish. They’ve made this decision rationally.”

“And if Red Bull decided to do this, again, there are reasons behind it that I’m unaware of, because they are multiple world champions. They don’t make decisions lightly. But I was surprised, to answer your question.”

Discussions started as early as Abu Dhabi 2023

While Sainz did not appear to be on the market at the time, and many expected him to stay with Ferrari from 2025, Vowles stated he approached him during last year’s Abu Dhabi finale, thinking he had a chance to convince him.

“There was only one driver I spoke to in Abu Dhabi last year, just one, and that was Carlos, to be very clear. I didn’t gamble. I chose a driver whom I thought would make a difference.”

“My goal was to position myself as wisely as possible for this. But it’s performance that does everything. If you’re in the points, you get a lot more calls than if you’re not.”

It was only when Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari for 2025 was announced in February that Vowles knew his chances of hiring Sainz had significantly improved, even though he hadn’t anticipated Hamilton’s signing: “I had absolutely no idea.”

“It was a total shock to me. When Lewis was announced, I had no clue. I knew Lewis was planning to move there, but I also knew the end of that contract, because I had been part of it, and I was knocked off my chair the day it happened.”

While Vowles has been talking to other drivers in recent weeks, including Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon, he stated he only did so because he feared the deal with Sainz might fall through.

“I didn’t call or contact anyone else. In fact, the only time I did was later when it became very clear that Carlos would not be joining us. And at that point, I had to make sure I was spreading my bets to cover that. But he knows when I did it, and it was very late in the process.”

“The reason I did this, and it’s the same with the public element, is that I firmly believe in what we’re doing here. I think anyone who knows me well enough can look me in the eye, and I will honestly tell you that I truly believe in what we’re doing.”