Williams Formula 1 team principal James Vowles has admitted he was concerned about losing both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon before they signed contract extensions. Speaking at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday, Vowles described the duo as world championship-material drivers who deserve the chance to fight for podiums.
The fear came after a dreadful start to the 2026 season for Williams, with a car that was overweight, late, and not to the performance specification. Both drivers had been weighing up their futures over the summer break, but ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to the British outfit. Albon's new deal runs until at least the end of 2027, while Sainz has signed a multi-year contract.
“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,” Vowles said. “What I'm thankful for is the moment we had problems, they stood by our side. It wasn't finger pointing, it was actually 'tell me what I can do'.”
Vowles revealed that Sainz and Albon have been actively lifting the team's morale, including speaking to the whole organisation at the factory after re-signing. “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 the team and the turnaround of this organisation and I'm thankful for that,” he added.
The Williams boss believes their decision to stay is a sign that the recovery project is on the right track. “What we demonstrated to Carlos is everything that happened this winter, everything that we are doing right now to fix it, the corner that we've turned as a result of it and what the future looks like,” he explained. “There's zero doubt about it. We are way off where we wanted to be. We have a car that was overweight, late and not to the performance specification that we wanted it to be.”
Vowles stressed that the changes involve a combination of people, processes, systems, and structures. “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,” he concluded.
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