James Vowles' 4-word social media post marks the beginning of Carlos Sainz's partnership with Williams

Williams F1 team principal James Vowles welcomed Carlos Sainz into the team's outfit in Grove as the latter starts his new partnership with the British team. The Spanish driver was the most sought-after in the 2024 driver's market after he was let go by Ferrari in favor of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.

The 30-year-old had several teams vying for his signature after all the top teams closed the door on him. But the four-time F1 race winner chose the Grove-based outfit as his next destination after rejecting the advances from Alpine and Audi.

On his social media platform, X, Williams F1 team principal Vowles dropped a four-word reaction as Sainz started a new journey in his decade-long career in the sport, saying:

"Welcome to Grove, Carlos."

As per Motorsportweek, Vowles claimed that he was "over the moon" when he had secured the signature of Carlos Sainz and won over the likes of big manufacturers like Alpine and Audi. He even termed the signing as a "pivotal" one for the journey of the team and said:

“When it was signed, I was over the moon, and he [Sainz] knows I was over the moon. When I told the factory, which was effectively there and then, I enjoyed the moment. Moments like this, they don’t come many times in your career, where you’ve made a pivotal decision that will completely change the direction and course of an organisation.

"This is just one step of about a thousand that we need to achieve along our journey to be successful. I’ll celebrate when you come to me and say, ‘Congratulations, Williams is a strong competitor fighting for wins and fighting for championships.'"

Williams F1's last win came at the 2012 Spanish GP courtesy of Pastor Maldonado converting his front row grid and holding off the challenge from Fernando Alonso.

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Williams F1 team boss provides a timeline for giving Carlos Sainz a race-winning car

Williams F1 team principal James Vowles believes that the iconic British team can return to winning ways in 2028. He spoke about the heavy investment in the next two years to provide a foundation for the Grove-based outfit.

As quoted in the aforementioned source, the Brit said:

“I think if you ask me to commit to a date, I would have said more ’28, but I think the point is we should be on the right journey to get towards there as well. There’s quite a bit of investment, senior management, and other elements, that are kicking in for ’26 and ’27. It takes time in F1."

Vowles's realistic assumption of winning races by 2028 could be an issue, as Carlos Sainz has signed a multi-year deal with Williams that ends in 2026. The Spaniard could sign a contract extension with the British team after his current one expires.

But Sainz has made no secret of going back to a front-running team in the coming years if the opportunity arises to give himself the best chance to win races.