Racing
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Williams team principal James Vowles says he has "zero doubt" Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are the driver pairing he wants for the foreseeable future, backing both men publicly as Williams tries to ride out a poor start to 2026 and an approaching silly season.
Vowles told the official Formula 1 website that he has "no concerns" either driver is losing faith in the project, even with Williams only eighth in the Constructors' Championship on seven points after a winter hit by production delays. "In terms of 'silly season', speak to Alex, speak to Carlos," Vowles said. "They want to be part of this journey."
That support matters because Williams came into 2026 expecting to build on a stronger-than-expected 2025, when it finished fifth in the standings after Albon scored consistently through the first two-thirds of the year and Sainz added two unexpected podiums late on. Instead, delays over the winter left the team on the back foot under the new regulations, and while it has recovered enough to score points on four occasions, it remains well short of where it expected to be.
The pressure around its lineup is sharper because Sainz chose Williams after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, with 2026 seen as a critical milestone in that decision. With the new rules reshaping the competitive order, Vowles acknowledged there is "always ... silly season," but said the responsibility is on Williams to prove it can give both drivers the car and the structure they signed up for.
"[There is] zero doubt in my mind that this is the pairing that I want," he said. "It's in our hands both today and in the next five years to demonstrate we have ability to put performance on the car that outstrips other teams and therefore earn their right to be here. They are aware of it."
Vowles framed the difficult winter as a test that actually reinforced the value of both drivers inside the team. He said he was calling them "pretty much daily" as bad news "kept coming for weeks," while asking them to act as leaders alongside him and help keep the organization moving in the right direction.
"They were there by our sides all the way through and that's really important to me," Vowles said. "They were asking the right questions and asking me: 'What else can I do?' That's a sign of the characters they are and the strength as they are as individuals."
He also pointed to the way both have responded when opportunities have appeared, saying Williams' drivers have been ready to deliver "every time we have had points to pick up," including in Shanghai and Miami.
For Williams, that makes the driver question less about replacing either Sainz or Albon and more about convincing them the team can still meet the trajectory it sold. Vowles insists the current setback does not change that longer-term direction, with Williams still targeting major milestones in 2028 and championship contention by 2030.