Vowles reveals Sainz's 'unique' trait aiding Williams despite struggles

James Vowles believes that Carlos Sainz’s “unique” approach to racing has made him a valuable asset at Williams, with the team principal identifying his enduring competitive spirit as one of his strengths.

The Spaniard took Williams back to the podium last season, but the team suffered a significant downturn in 2026, transforming from ‘best of the rest’ to scrapping towards the back of the field.

While Sainz has been vocal about their issues, which included delayed development and an overweight car, he nevertheless committed to Williams with a multi-year deal to demonstrate his confidence in the team’s potential.

Vowles was unsurprisingly ecstatic to retain his current line-up – with Alex Albon similarly set to race there in 2027 – and reflected on Sainz’s talent over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. “He is immensely good," he said.

“His attitude and approach doesn’t change irrespective of whether he’s fighting for 18th or a podium, and that’s quite unique.

“Normally, you’ll see a change in persona from individuals – the more frustrated they are, the more emotion kicks into it, and Carlos doesn’t have that at all. He’s just driven by constant performance improvements. Fundamentally, that is what you need to be driving yourselves forward with.”

The team share an ambition to return to fighting for points, wins and eventually titles, but their timeline to do so has been adjusted due to the unexpected setback they’ve experienced under the latest regulations.

As rival outfits like Aston Martin continue to recover ground through major upgrades, pressure is increasing on Williams to take a step forward when their changes come in at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but Vowles has stressed that improvements will take time.

“When we look at where the grid is right now, we are too far away,” he summarised. “So a lot of our focus is really going into next year, especially since there is a power unit change and an aerodynamic regulation change, in order to sort of get back onto, let’s say, a solid foundation.

“It’s a team that’s hurting, there’s no doubt about it. We’re not where we want to be.

“This is not what we planned for, so to have the news that two of your leaders are by your side and growing with you and believe in the journey you’re on is incredibly powerful for an organisation, especially when we’re asking what we are of them.

“It isn’t just about what they bring on track, it’s about the leaders they are behind the scenes. An example of that is when this winter went pretty poor, both flew to the UK and spent time with the team to effectively just support them in every way that they could do, which is unusual, but it’s an indication of who they are as characters.”