Williams reveals how sensitive data convinced Sainz to sign

In a surprising turn of events, Williams has secured the services of Carlos Sainz for the 2025 Formula 1 season, beating out competition from Alpine and the future Audi works team.

The move has raised eyebrows in the paddock, given Williams' current position near the bottom of the Constructors' standings.

However, team principal James Vowles has now shed light on the persuasive tactics that brought Sainz to Grove.

The weight of evidence

Vowles took an unconventional approach in his pursuit of Sainz, sharing confidential data about the FW46's weight issues.

This transparency allowed the Spanish driver to see beyond Williams' current struggles and glimpse the car's true potential.

"I gave him quite accurate weight figures for where the car is overweight race by race, so he can go back and calculate from that where the car would have been,"

Vowles explained on the F1 Nation podcast.

"And for the world, it would have meant we were point scoring at pretty much every race, certainly at the beginning of the year."

This revelation paints a different picture of Williams' competitiveness.

Vowles emphasized the significance of weight in F1 performance, stating,

"Add 10 kilos, it's about three tenths; take off 10 kilos, it's about three tenths. There's no point debating it, it does it every time."

Investment and long-term vision

Beyond the immediate performance gains possible through weight reduction, Vowles presented Sainz with Williams' ambitious plans for the future.

The team has already announced 32 new recruits, with more to come, as they gear up for a major push when F1 introduces new regulations in 2026.

"What I also showed him is what we're investing in [for] the future in a lightweight way,"

Vowles said.

"Where we're investing, how much we're investing, why we're doing that, what I believe in, how long it would take to come on board."

This long-term strategy was crucial in convincing Sainz, despite the acknowledgment that 2025 would still be a "compromise" year for the team.

Vowles was candid about the timeline, explaining,

"2025 is a compromise as well and that was a difficult position for him because he's hyper-competitive and doesn't want to be on the backfoot in '25, but here's why '26 is quite exciting and this is what you have to look forward to."

Building trust through consistency

Vowles emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent message throughout negotiations.

"The same message I gave him [when talks started] in Abu Dhabi last year is exactly the same message I gave him two weeks ago. Hasn't changed,"

he stated. This transparency and straightforwardness appear to have resonated with Sainz, building trust in Vowles' leadership and vision for Williams.

Realistic ambitions

While Williams currently trails Ferrari by a significant margin in the championship, Vowles is pragmatic about the team's future prospects.

He acknowledges that challenging Ferrari directly might be "unlikely," but believes Williams has "a chance" to compete with other top teams in the coming years.

As Williams embarks on this new chapter with Sainz, the F1 world will be watching closely to see if the team can translate its ambitious plans and newfound driver talent into on-track success.

The signing of Sainz represents a statement of intent from Williams, as they seek to reclaim their position among Formula 1's elite.