F1 Nation

How Sainz will turbocharge Williams - with James Vowles

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Episode notes

Williams Team Principal James Vowles tells Tom Clarkson and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill why ‘performance machine’ Carlos Sainz will take Williams to a new level when he joins the team in 2025.

When did James begin talks with Carlos? Why does he believe he’s now got one of the best driver line-ups in Formula 1? How much pressure does this put on the team to improve performance? And why does James compare negotiations with the Spaniard to dating?

Damon discusses how Carlos will transition from a frontrunning team to one further down the grid and how he’ll work alongside Alex Albon.

This episode was recorded before Jonathan Wheatley's departure from Red Bull was announced, but Tom and Damon discuss why the team decided to stick with Sergio Perez for the rest of 2024. 

Plus, what do we know about new Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes? And who are the contenders to fill seats left at Mercedes, Alpine and Sauber?