Amid Williams’ public courtship of his services, Carlos Sainz expressed his own admiration for team boss James Vowles and the work ethic the Briton has instilled at the Grove-based outfit.
Sainz, who is set to depart Ferrari at the end of the year, remains tight-lipped about his future F1 plans, despite the overt interest expressed by Williams.
Vowles has made no secret of his desire to secure the three-time Grand Prix winner’s services, an ambition reiterated during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
At Spa last weekend, the former Mercedes strategist indicated that he believes the team is on an upward trajectory and that the odds are in favor of Williams securing Sainz's signature.
The Ferrari driver, for his part, was equally complimentary of Vowles and of the progress he has seen at Williams, although he continues to hold his cards close to his chest.
“I think Williams have always been in a good place,” Sainz remarked. “So have the other teams. Because, as you guys know, it’s not that I am limited in options. We will see.”
“James has been very vocal about wanting me in Williams, and as you guys know I’m a big fan of his and his work ethic and the way he’s pushing that team forward.
“So, it’s not secret that I get on very well with James. Whether he’s being optimistic or not, I keep that to myself.”
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This mutual respect has undoubtedly played a role in Sainz's consideration of Williams as a viable option for his future. However, the 29-year-old remains measured in his responses, keeping his cards close to his chest.
With multiple teams expressing their interest in his talent and tabling offers, Sainz is undeniably at the center of a high-stakes driver market for 2025.
But the 29-year-old has been patient in his decision-making process, carefully weighing his options before committing to a new team.
“It feels, yeah, a privilege to be so well-regarded by these teams,” Sainz said. “To have such positive feedback from them.
“I feel almost honoured to have this positive will from these teams and I can only thank them for their patience and their willingness to sign me.
“But it’s been a very complex driver market, a very complex situation, and that’s why I’ve been having to wait and see how every team’s future was panning out.
“And as you guys see, every week has given me the feeling that I’ve been doing the right thing to wait, because every week you know something different about each team.
“So even though I see some fans and some media getting impatient, saying ‘why is he waiting so long’, when you look at the market and when you look at each team, all the changes that have been in every team, it clearly shows that waiting was exactly the right thing to do – because the more I’ve been waiting, the more information I was getting from each team that I have opportunities to go to.
“So I hope that you guys put that in value and appreciate why I’ve been waiting and why it’s been probably the right call to keep it for this long.”
In Spa, Vowles hinted at an imminent decision on Williams’ driver front. But Sainz suggested that patience would remain a virtue on his side during the coming weeks.
“What I look forward is to go to the summer break and not hear this question for three weeks,” he said.
“Because I’ve been hearing it every day for the last six months almost, and it gets to a point that if I’m not saying anything, it’s not like I’m going to tell you guys anything about it.”
“On the thinking side, I’m pretty calm. I know what I want and why I’m waiting.”
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