Williams will have 'best driver lineup on the grid' in 2025 - Vowles
10/05/2024 08:37 AM
Williams team principal James Vowles has made an audacious prediction for 2025, boldly declaring that the British outfit will have the best driver lineup on the F1 grid!
Vowles believes the combination of Alex Albon and outgoing Ferrari charger Carlos Sainz will offer a talented united front at Williams stronger than Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Scuderia, or the hotshot pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren.
The arrival of Sainz, a three-time Grand Prix winner who has always held his own against top-tier teammates, including Max Verstappen in his debut season in F1 in 2015, has undeniably injected a solid dose of fresh optimism into the team.
And Vowles is convinced that the Spaniard – who will take over from impressive rookie Franco Colapinto next year – and the equally skillful Albon will lead Williams back to the sharp end of the field.
"In '25, I think we will have the best driver lineup on the grid," said Vowles, speaking on a recent Beyond the Grid podcast.
"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 are good developments ongoing, just as a continuation of '24 to '25."
Vowles explained the rationale behind his surprising prediction regarding Williams' lineup.
"That's my opinion of it. And I'll explain some of the reasons behind it to a certain extent," he added.
"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."
But Vowles' belief in Sainz goes beyond just his on-track performances. The Williams boss is particularly impressed by 30-year-old's commitment to driving the Grove-based outfit forward and his leadership qualities, both inside and outside the car.
"So it's not that he hasn't been challenged throughout his career," he explained. "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 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."
As Williams continues its rebuild under Vowles' leadership, the prospect of having Sainz and Albon in the same garage is a significant part of the team's strategy for future success.
The Briton's claim that Williams will have the best driver lineup in 2025 may raise eyebrows, but with the right resources and direction, the team seems determined to challenge F1's top contenders once again.
In an era of intense competition in F1, with McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull all boasting strong driver pairings, Williams' ambitions are clear.
The team hopes that by assembling this talented duo, they will not only close the gap to the front-runners but also revive the proud legacy of one of F1's most storied teams.
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