According to Williams team boss James Vowles, the team is in no rush to finalize a deal with Carlos Sainz but does have a “Plan B” option in place.According to Williams team boss James Vowles, the team is in no rush to finalize a deal with Carlos Sainz but does have a “Plan B” option in place. Sainz, who will depart Ferrari in 2024, has been identified as Williams’ “number one target.” However, Vowles emphasized the team’s desire for a “long-term relationship” and is open to waiting for the right decision. While Williams has not made an “imminent” decision on Sainz, Vowles confirmed that they are “open-minded” to a mid-season driver change. Logan Sargeant, the team’s current driver, is on a “meritocracy” system and must perform to retain his seat. Franco Colapinto, Williams’ youth driver, made his FP1 debut at the British Grand Prix. Vowles praised Colapinto’s progress but stressed that the team must provide proper preparation before promoting a rookie to Formula 1. Williams has secured only two points so far in the 2024 season, which Vowles attributed to car performance rather than driver issues. However, he acknowledged that the team’s youth driver program is expanding, and they remain committed to investing in their young drivers.
While Williams is in no rush to complete a deal for Carlos Sainz, team boss James Vowles said there is a ‘Plan B’ option ready.
Sainz, who will leave Ferrari at the end of F1 2024 to make way for Lewis Hamilton, is seen as the cork in the bottle for the F1 2025 driver market, with Williams having made no secret of the fact that he is on their radar as their “number one target”.
Williams confirms ‘Plan B’ option exists amid Carlos Sainz chase
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of the British Grand Prix, Vowles confirmed that there is no “imminent” decision on the Sainz front, making it clear that a “long-term relationship” is the aim in selecting the team-mate for the already re-signed Alex Albon.
Asked how long he was prepared to wait for Sainz, Vowles replied: “I mean, I go back to, he’s a world-class driver. So the decision is not imminent. It’s not today that we have to make it.
“But what I’ve said all along is that the timeline is actually less important to me. What’s more important is that whatever decision we make or the director makes, it’s about forging a long-term relationship with each other — meaning that we both see the journey that we’re on and want that to be a part of their lives.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll see all of this sorted out before we get to September. That’s the normal time. If you look at a normal routine, we’re actually only now getting back to a normal schedule where August is spent doing contracts. But I’m pretty sure you’ll find it all sorted out by then.”
As for whether Williams have a Plan B driver option if Sainz doesn’t sign with them, Vowles confirmed: “In principle yes. Simple answer.”
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Logan Sargeant is fighting to retain his place in the Williams line-up, but there is more talk about the American than his prospects of a 2025 Formula 1 seat.
Vowles confirmed that Williams is “open-minded” when asked about the prospect of a mid-season driver change, but said that at Williams it is not a driver problem but the car, as they have scored just two points so far this season.
“We are constantly evaluating it,” Vowles said when asked if he would consider a driver change before F1 2024 is over?
“What we’ve said to Logan is that it’s a meritocracy. You’ve got to make sure you continually earn your place in the sport. That’s the same message that’s been with him for 18 months.
“And we are open to things. What I said before and what I maintained today is that our car, and this is a responsibility on my shoulders and the team’s shoulders, is not fast enough. It is not a driver problem that we are suffering from today. We are simply overtaken and we need to make sure that we accelerate that process.”
As for other potential threats to Sargeant’s seat if Sainz doesn’t join Williams, Vowles was asked what role their youth driver Franco Colapinto, who made his FP1 debut at Silverstone, would play in this picture?
Vowles is said to be speaking of a “significantly” expanding junior programme and the need to ensure suitable preparation in the Formula 1 machine for a rookie before their debut, which he said Colapinto has not received to date.
“I think today was first of all a bit of a reward for a really strong Formula 2 season,” Vowles said of Colapinto.
“I’m happy to acknowledge that we have a strong young driver program. We’ve invested in Logan and we’ll continue to invest in our young driver program, it’s as simple as that. It’s building up quite a bit in the background.
“And today was not a showcase or a demonstration or a test. It was just a reward for good progress. And we have to do two FP1s in the season. It makes sense to do it here at Silverstone. I didn’t expect it to be wet, then dry, then wet, but hey, that’s Silverstone for you.
“I believe you can really burn a driver if you put him in the car too early. And actually in modern Formula 1 you see that rookies struggle because of things.
“So it’s not just about excellence, you’ve driven a reasonably good Formula 2, you’ve got a podium. In fact, our investment, our commitment to them has to be an amount of time in a historic car, an amount of time with preparation to ensure that if we choose them to continue, they are effectively in the strongest place they can be. And we haven’t given Franco that at the moment.”
Williams has so far secured two points in the 2024 Formula 1 campaign thanks to Alex Albon’s ninth-place finish in Monaco.
Read more: ‘I don’t know what he’s thinking’ – Carlos Sainz’s wait-and-see attitude frustrates expiring rival
