James Vowles Makes Bold 2025 Driver Statement

Saajan Jogia | Oct 4, 2024

James Vowles - Williams Racing / Williams Racing Press Image

Williams team principal James Vowles revealed that his team will have the best driver line-up in Formula 1 next season. The statement comes after Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz signed a multi-year contract with Williams ahead of the summer break for the period starting in 2025.

Vowles is confident that the pairing of Alex Albon and Sainz would be a strong asset for the team as it continues to upgrade both its infrastructure and its title contender. Williams recently demonstrated its potential after car upgrades, with Albon and Franco Colapinto, who stepped in for Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season, consistently finishing in the points.

The team boss is confident that Sainz’s wealth of experience could help elevate their position on the grid. Even with strong driver pairings like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, and Lando Norris alongside Oscar Piastri at McLaren for 2025, Vowles confidently said Williams will have the best lineup next year. Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, he said:

“In ’25, I think we will have the best driver lineup on the grid. I mean, Franco’s doing a brilliant job. What he doesn’t have is the experience that Carlos will come with, but he’s doing an outstanding job.

“I think from the perspective of not just driving the car, but leading the team forward, we’ll have the best line-up on the grid. That will help motivate and push us forward. There’s good developments ongoing, just as a continuation of ’24 to ’25.”

Vowles then listed reasons supporting his claim. He added:

“That’s my opinion of it. And I’ll explain some of the reasons behind it to a certain extent. A, they’re both performing at a very high level. I mean, Carlos has driven against all of the drivers we’ve just discussed.  Against Lando, he was successful.

“Against Charles, up and down. But he’s there or thereabouts. There’s hardly anything between those two drivers.  Against Max, in that first year in Toro Rosso, [he] was exceptional against him.

“So it’s not that he hasn’t been challenged throughout his career. He’s been challenged all the way through and held his own.  But it’s not just that that I’m basing it on. It’s not in the car, it’s out the car.

“In the short space of time that I’ve got to know him properly, he drives the team forward. He wants to spend every minute of his time that he can do to make this team more and more successful.  And that’s a combination that is not necessarily available up and down the grid.

“What I mean by that is not just getting the car. That’s not my job. My job is I want this to be a successful organisation. Tell me what more we can do.  And that’s what I’m looking forward to. And Alex is built the same way.”