Williams crew principal James Vowles has revealed why he charges his driver line-up of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz so extremely.
Albon joined Williams in 2022, and Sainz signed with the Grove outfit for 2025 after being changed at Ferrari by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
Throughout an interview with Frankie Langan, Vowles praised the 2 drivers’ lack of ego and drive to place the targets of the crew first.
“Two sensible drivers. I am actually, actually lucky and sensible from this attitude. No politics, no ego. They should have an ego, however they do not,” the Briton defined.
“They actually give the whole lot, they usually need Williams to achieve success as I do as properly. And so their dedication is extra than simply driving the automotive. It goes from actually past that.”
After discussing different drivers who he has labored with, akin to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, Vowles added: “When it comes to Carlos, his communication with engineers is the perfect that I’ve labored with. He has this means to actually carry into what he is feeling when he is within the automotive and hyperlink it to the info on the similar time.
“When it comes to Alex, he has this pure means to, particularly in altering situations, which is what you noticed in Melbourne and some others, you simply get probably the most out of him and probably the most out of others as properly. All of them have completely different ability units.
Carlos Sainz, Williams, Alex Albon, Williams, Drive to Survive Season 8
Photograph by: Netflix
“What I might say with Carlos and Alex is above that, they have no baggage. What they need is the crew to be sturdy. And what they do because of that’s whether or not they’ve had a foul day or not, the perfect instance I may give you is Alex was there by my facet on the podium when Carlos was there.
“I do not know some other driver on the grid that will try this, however he is centred round Williams, and he would not carry baggage from his dangerous day. And for readability, he was in poor health that weekend and nonetheless gave the whole lot he probably might to it.”
Vowles joined Williams as crew principal in 2023 and is engaged on bringing the historic crew again to its championship-winning type. Whereas that is going to be an extended course of, Williams has had a tough begin to the 2026 season and at the moment sits ninth within the constructors’ standings.
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