"It starts with text, there's dinner involved, and then it ends up in a hotel": James Vowles' hilarious comparison of signing Carlos Sainz to dating

Williams team principal James Vowles compared Carlos Sainz's signing to that of the concept of romantic dating. In the seventh season of Netflix series 'Drive to Survive', Vowles explained that signing a driver begins with text messages before it advances to dinner and then a meeting in a hotel room.

Sainz agreed to a significant career switch to Williams Racing last year after Scuderia Ferrari replaced him with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. As a free agent, he had limited time and options in hand.

Moreover, after sorting out all opportunities, the Spanish driver joined hands with Williams Racing in what was touted as an unprecedented and shocking move by many pundits.

Meanwhile, Netflix cameras captured the behind-the-scenes footage of Sainz's rendezvous with Williams and dedicated episode number 4, titled 'Carlos Signs,' in season seven.

In the 22nd minute of the episode, Williams team principal James Vowles shared a hilarious analogy, comparing Carlos Sainz's signing to the concept of real-life dating.

"Signing a driver has some similarities to dating. You start with texts, and then it has dinner involved in it. And then it ends up in a hotel room," Vowles said.

Netflix producers and cameramen burst into laughter, leaving James Vowles embarrassed for a minute. The episode further shows Sainz and his manager having a meeting with Vowles in a hotel room. A frame later, Williams team principal was seen welcoming the Spanish driver into the team in front of the engineers.

Vowles also said at the end of the episode that Sainz's signing is a perfect step to prove that his team is serious about getting back to the front of the grid and fighting for wins and podiums.

Sainz will make his Williams debut on March 16 with the 2025 Australian Grand Prix scheduled in Melbourne.

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Carlos Sainz almost ditched Williams for Alpine

Carlos Sainz [Image Source: Getty]

In episode four of Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' season seven titled 'Carlos Signs,' Carlos Sainz was seen ditching James Vowles on the contract signing day. Vowles and his team, Williams, waited for him at a hotel with the contract papers, but the Spaniard stood them up.

Later in the episode, Sainz explained that Alpine's executive advisor, Flavio Briatore, had approached him with an offer, which led to a delay in his decision to sign with Williams.

“Flavio called me. Alpine started to become more appealing since Flavio Briatore arrived to the team. He’s being extremely convincing or extremely insistent in me trying to join the project," Sainz said.

Even Alpine driver Pierre Gasly tried his best to convince Sainz to join his team as he saw massive potential for the future. However, a delay in negotiations and evaluations prompted Carlos Sainz to stick to his initial plan and sign a multi-year deal with Williams.