Williams boss James Vowles surprised by lack of interest in Carlos Sainz from Red Bull and Mercedes

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Williams team principal James Vowles has expressed his astonishment that neither Red Bull nor Mercedes demonstrated serious interest in Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season and beyond.

Sainz, who is set to be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, has signed a multiyear deal with Williams starting next season. This development puts an end to months of speculation surrounding the Spaniard's future.

During a media call on Tuesday, Vowles revealed that his interest in securing Sainz's services dated back to December last year, coinciding with the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

"There's only one driver team I spoke to in Abu Dhabi last year, only one, and it was Carlos," Vowles stated. "Just to be super clear on that. I didn't spread bet. I went for one driver that I thought would make the difference."

When Ferrari announced Hamilton's move on February 1, Sainz was initially seen as a potential candidate to replace the seven-time world champion at Mercedes. However, team boss Toto Wolff did not show any serious interest.

Vowles, who transitioned to Williams from Mercedes in 2022, disclosed that he had no prior knowledge of Hamilton’s shift but believed Sainz was the optimal choice for Williams.

Sainz also explored the possibility of returning to Red Bull, hoping to either replace Sergio Pérez in 2025 or fill a vacancy if Wolff managed to poach Max Verstappen for Mercedes either next year or the year after. However, the Red Bull opportunity never materialized as the reigning champions extended Pérez's contract for another season earlier this year.

When asked if he was surprised by the big teams overlooking Sainz, Vowles remarked, "Yes, is the short answer to it, because I rate him as one of the top four drivers, if not, at times, the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn't you want that in your stable?"

"Because my view of things is fundamentally competitors are getting closer and closer so the marginal difference the driver can make... and I don't just mean in performance terms, look at Carlos and look at every team he has been in, they have improved significantly."

Red Bull confirmed this week that Pérez would remain with the team beyond the summer break, despite his recent unremarkable form. Meanwhile, Mercedes appears poised to elevate Formula Two rookie sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli for next season.

Vowles acknowledged that both teams had their own reasons behind their decisions but felt a driver of Sainz's calibre could have had significant impacts for either outfit.

"What I've realised with him is Carlos is a performance machine. He absolutely will do everything it takes within his power to not transform just himself but the team around him at the same time. And that's powerful, that's worth more than what he can drive the car at, that's worth that you move the team forward at the same amount," Vowles said.

"So when you're in Red Bull's position when you've got a constructors' championship at risk, it's always a hard decision, but yes, I would have Carlos alongside Max.

"If you're at Mercedes, it's a hard choice, they've swayed between not being competitive, in which case it makes sense to invest in the future, to being very competitive ... now it's a harder decision as to whether you invest in known entities or unknown.

"But that said if Mercedes have made that decision, they have far more information than I do, it's more than likely they're confident in the direction of travel they'll be travelling in -- whether that be Max or Kimi, I'm unsure, but my point is they're not fools, they've made the decision sensibly.

"And if Red Bull have decided to do this, again, there's reasons behind it I won't be aware of, they're multiple world champions and they don't take decisions lightly. But I was surprised, to answer the question."

As Williams secures Sainz's talents for the coming season, the Formula 1 community eagerly anticipates how these strategic driver decisions will shape the grid dynamics in 2025 and beyond.

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