Williams Formula 1 team principal James Vowles admitted he had been concerned about losing both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon before the drivers committed their futures to the team.

The contract extensions, announced this week, were described by Vowles as “incredibly important”, providing a major boost to a team that has struggled for form after finishing fifth in last season’s constructors’ championship.

Williams currently sit ninth among 11 teams with 11 points, with Sainz scoring six and Albon contributing five.

Vowles said he feared the team’s disappointing performances could push both drivers towards rival teams, particularly because he believes they have the ability to compete for podiums and race wins.

“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.

He added that both drivers had shown their faith in Williams by staying despite the team’s difficult campaign, describing their decisions as a significant boost for everyone at the Williams factory.

“What I’m thankful for is the moment we have problems, they stood by our side. It shows the outside world that they believe in what the future looks like,” Vowles said.

Sainz commits to the long term

Carlos Sainz, a four-time Formula 1 race winner with Ferrari, had been linked with a move to Audi before agreeing to a multi-year extension with Williams.

The Spaniard said he had taken time to assess the team’s progress before making his decision, insisting that he was not prepared to leave simply because results had become difficult.

Sainz explained that while he had always wanted to remain with Williams, he wanted reassurance that the team could avoid repeating the problems that had affected its current campaign.

Albon also stays with Williams

Alex Albon, meanwhile, has signed a one-year extension with Williams after reaching 100 race starts for the team.

Vowles said Williams had been able to convince Sainz that the team was moving in the right direction, even though there remains significant work to be done before it can challenge at the front of the grid.

One of the team’s major issues has been its limited access to advanced simulation technology, which only became operational last November, when much of the 2026 car’s development had already been completed.

Vowles admitted that the lack of accurate simulation data forced Williams to rely heavily on educated guesses during development, with some of those decisions proving costly.

“We were using educated guessing, and we got some of it wrong,” Vowles said, explaining that Williams developed the car around the wrong rear ride height, a problem he said also affected Aston Martin.

Williams facing a long rebuilding process

The Williams car arrived late for testing and was overweight while also lacking sufficient downforce. The package introduced at the Miami Grand Prix was effectively the car originally intended for the season-opening race in Melbourne.

Vowles stressed that Williams would not be transformed overnight, pointing to the cost cap and years of under-investment as major obstacles.

The team principal said Williams is now making significant investments in areas where other leading teams already have established infrastructure, with decisions being made to strengthen the organisation over the next five years.

The arrival of former McLaren chief operating officer Piers Thynne is another part of that long-term rebuilding strategy. Thynne joined Williams this month and will focus on improving production processes, planning and facilities.

Vowles believes Thynne can be a major asset to the team because of his experience at championship-winning level.

Once a dominant force in Formula 1 during the 1980s and 1990s, Williams last won the constructors’ championship in 1997. The team is now hoping that keeping Sainz and Albon will provide the stability needed to begin another climb towards the front of the grid.