Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted he was “surprised” that Red Bull and Mercedes did not pursue Carlos Sainz more aggressively.

The Ferrari driver will join Williams at the end of the current F1 season, in what is seen as a bold move for the Grove-based team, which has struggled in the mid-table and bottom of the standings in recent years.

Sainz is the most coveted free agent on the F1 driver market in 2024, with his reluctance to move to a new home causing a “silly season” to stall.

While there have been links to the only viable top-flight positions at Mercedes and Red Bull, the Spaniard has in reality had to choose between Williams, Alpine and Stake (which will become Audi in 2026).

“Yes, that’s the short answer to that question,” Vowles told a number of media outlets when asked if he was surprised that Sainz was able to sign and that Mercedes and Red Bull were not pursuing him.

“Because I rate him [Carlos Sainz] as one of the top four drivers, if not sometimes the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn’t you want him in your team?”

Sainz is a ‘performance machine’
Vowles was full of praise for Sainz, highlighting the impact the three-time grand prix winner has had on previous teams.

For the 44-year-old, Sainz is a driver who has helped these teams move forward through his mentality and meticulous approach to continuous improvement.

“My view on things is that basically the competition is getting closer and closer,” Vowles added. “So the little difference a driver can make – and I’m not just talking about performance, look at Carlos, look at every team he’s been in, they’ve improved dramatically.

“And I understand why, having spent the last nine months talking to him, at least weekly, if not daily.

“Rachel, my partner, was very, very confused about our relationship compared to my relationship with Carlos,” he joked, before referring to what he believes is the “powerful” transformation Sainz could bring to Williams.

“But what I’ve found about him is that he’s a performance machine,” Vowles said. “He will definitely do everything in his power to transform not only himself but the team around him at the same time – and that’s fantastic.

“It’s more than his driving ability, it’s so valuable that the whole team will move up the same level.”

Vowles will have ‘Sainz with Verstappen’ at Red Bull
It is believed that Mercedes have offered Sainz a two-year contract, in the form of a ‘one-plus-one’ deal. However, the 29-year-old wants a longer-term commitment from the German brand.

With youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli waiting in the wings, and Max Verstappen still the Brackley team’s top target, neither side has been able to find a working solution.

Meanwhile, Red Bull do not want to create internal instability by pairing Sainz with Verstappen – with whom their fathers are known to not get along, with tensions stemming from when their sons were team-mates at Toro Rosso.

Retaining the Dutchman remains a priority for Red Bull, so it is not seen as a worthwhile risk, despite the potential upside of adding a driver of Sainz’s calibre alongside Verstappen.

“When you’re in a position at Red Bull where the drivers’ championship is at stake, it’s always a tough decision, but yes, I would go with Carlos alongside Max [Verstappen],” Vowles said, assessing the two teams mentioned in the original question.

“If you’re at Mercedes. It’s a tough choice, but I think – they’ve oscillated between not being competitive, in which case it makes sense to invest in the future, and being very competitive – now the decision to invest in known entities is harder.

“That said, if Mercedes have made that decision, they have more information than I do. It’s very possible that they are very confident in the direction they are going. Whether it’s Max or Kimi [Andrea Kimi Antonelli], I’m not sure.

“But I mean, they’re not idiots. They made a conscious decision. And if Red Bull decided to do that, again, there are reasons behind it that I don’t know about, because they are multiple world champions, so they don’t make decisions lightly – but I’m surprised to answer your question.”