Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted he was concerned the team could lose both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon during its difficult 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
However, confirmation that both drivers will remain with Williams next season has given the Grove-based team a major boost, with Vowles saying a “weight lifted” off the factory.
Williams feared losing Sainz and Albon
Williams climbed from ninth to fifth in the 2025 constructors’ championship, with Sainz securing two podium finishes. The team has struggled to match that progress in 2026 and currently sits ninth after scoring just 11 points.
Despite the downturn in form, Sainz and Albon were recently confirmed as Williams drivers for next season. Speaking to the media during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, shortly after the announcements, Vowles was asked whether he had feared losing the pair.
“[I was] concerned about losing both, because they are World Championship-material drivers that deserve the opportunity to be fighting for podiums or more, and we haven’t delivered that,” he explained.
“And more than that, we had a scope of where we were moving to. I think that there’s no doubt if you sort of look to the outside – I hope there’s no doubt – over the last few years, we’ve been slowly stepping forward with last year being a blip. I think [it was] too positive from where we were, but a step in the right direction.
“So for us to move backwards isn’t just a surprise to the drivers, it’s a surprise to everyone else, and that will always create risk that you lose them. What I’m thankful for is, the moment we had problems, they stood by our side.
“There wasn’t finger pointing, it was actually, ‘tell me what I can do’, and they both came into the factory, spoke to the whole organisation and gave them a lift. Carlos did the same and Alex did the same this week once they re-signed.
“They wanted to make sure that they were here with the team. They want this to be a part of them, that is here on a turnaround of this organisation, and I’m thankful for that. But it’s also an indication of what we’ve shown them in the back end of what’s happened and what we’re doing about it.”
Why Williams’ driver stability matters
Vowles said keeping Sainz and Albon was “incredibly important” because their decisions send a positive message about Williams’ long-term prospects and provide continuity as the team develops.
“[Reason number] one, it shows the outside world – I can’t tell you everything that’s going on behind the scenes, but I can tell them, and if they are re-signing it will give you an indication that there’s a lot of change ongoing and they believe in what the future looks like.
“And that belief is incredibly important, whether it’s for team members or for anyone in the outside world.
“Number two, that consistency is important because the team is really maturing and changing and, as much as you can keep consistent, especially in a driver line-up, it becomes desperately important in order to keep building on that.
“Probably the best way to summarise it to you is [that in] the factory, there’s a weight lifted off it this week as the result of it and I’ve seen them move forward at a much faster pace as a result, so the belief is real and tangible.”
Why Williams announced the deals separately
Albon’s new contract was announced first, with Sainz’s confirmation following a day later. Vowles said the separate announcements reflected the different circumstances surrounding each driver and also allowed the team to mark the occasions individually.
“For me, and for the drivers, it was important to state that they are different stories and different timings,” the Team Principal said.
“Also, it helped me because Alex was in the simulator on Tuesday and Carlos on Wednesday. I was able to show them to the team and I didn’t have them both on the same day at the same time!
“But for me, they’re different journeys. Alex has been here since 2022. He has dedicated so much of his life to this project and he wants it to be successful, and I think that’s one message in its own right.
“With Carlos, what he needed was to be demonstrated what’s happening behind the scenes and he wanted to then commit into the long term, and it’s a very different set of arrangements that we have between the two of them. I think the messaging is no different though.
“We all have unfinished business. Our goal is to have Alex and Carlos by our side for many years to come. We have to do work on our side in order to make sure we are stepping up, irrespective of our drivers. The drivers are not the limitation to us at the moment. We are.
“We have to fix that, and quickly, for us more than anything else. But the announcements of the drivers will show you that there’s belief in the project for the long term, and that individuals, even the ones that have been here since ‘22, can see the change and want to be a part of it.”
