Red Bull and Mercedes cause 'surprise' with Sainz approach

Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted to being "surprised" that Red Bull and Mercedes did not pursue Carlos Sainz with greater intensity.

The outgoing Ferrari driver will join Williams at the end of the current F1 season, in what is widely considered a coup for the Grove-based outfit, which has struggled in the midfield and towards the back of the grid in recent years.

Sainz was the most coveted free agent available in the 2024 F1 driver market, with his indecision over his new home causing 'silly season' to stagnate.

Whilst there were links to the only viable top seats available, at Mercedes and Red Bull, in reality, the Spanish driver was left with a choice between Williams, Alpine and Stake (which will become Audi in 2026).

"Yes, is the short answer to it," Vowles told select media including RacingNews365 when asked if he was surprised he could sign Sainz, and that Mercedes and Red Bull did not go after him.

"Because I rate him [Carlos Sainz] as one of the top four drivers, if not, at times, the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn't you want that in your stable?"

Sainz is a 'performance machine'

Vowles was glowing in his praise of Sainz, drawing upon the influence the three-time grand prix winner has had at previous teams.

To the 44-year-old, in Sainz he sees a driver who has helped move those teams forward through his mentality and meticulous approach to continuous improvement.

"My view of things is that fundamentally, competitors are getting closer and closer," Vowles added. "So the marginal difference that a driver can make - and I don't just mean in performance terms, look at Carlos, look at every team he has been in, they have improved significantly.

"And I get why, after spending the last nine months talking to him, at least weekly, if not daily, in truth.

"Rachel, my partner, has been very, very confused as to our relationship together relative to mine with Carlos," he joked before addressing what he believes is a "powerful" transformational effect Sainz can bring to Williams.

"But what I've realised with him is that he is a performance machine," said Vowles. "He absolutely will do everything it takes within his power to not transform just himself, but the team around him as well at the same time - and that's powerful. 

"That's worth more than what he can drive the car, that's worth that you move the team forward by the same amount."

Vowles would have 'Sainz alongside Verstappen' at Red Bull

It is believed that Mercedes offered Sainz a two-year contract, in the shape of a 'one-plus-one' deal. However, the 29-year-old wanted a longer-term commitment from the German marque.

With junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli waiting in the wings, and Max Verstappen remaining the Brackley team's top target, the two sides could not find a solution that worked.

Meanwhile, Red Bull did not want to create internal instability by partnering Sainz with Verstappen - whose fathers' are known to not get on, tensions that date back to when their sons' were team-mates together at Toro Rosso.

Retaining the Dutch driver remains a key priority for Red Bull, so it would not have been considered a worthwhile risk, despite the potential upside of adding a driver of Sainz's calibre alongside Verstappen.

"When you're in Red Bull's position where you've got a constructors' championship at risk, it's always a hard decision, but yes, I would have Carlos alongside Max [Verstappen]," said Vowles, whilst assessing the two teams mentioned in the original question.

"If you're in Mercedes. It's a hard choice, but I think - they've swayed between not being competitive, in which case it makes sense to invest in the future, to being very competitive - now it's a harder decision as to whether you invest in known-entities.

"That said, if Mercedes have made that decision, they have far more information than I do. It's more than likely that they're very confident with the direction that they'll be traveling. Whether that be Max or Kimi [Andrea Kimi Antonelli], I'm unsure. 

"But my point is, they're not fools. They've made the decision sensibly. And if Red Bull have decided to do this, again, there's reasons behind it that I wouldn't be aware of, because they are multiple world champions, so they don't make decisions lightly - but I was surprised, to answer your question."