The key factor that makes the Carlos Sainz-Alex Albon pair the best in F1, according to Williams boss

Ahead of Carlos Sainz joining the team in 2025, Williams team principal James Vowles has made positive comments on his team's driver lineup. He opined that Sainz's pairing with Alex Albon could be successful since both the drivers are not "political."

Williams Racing landed four-time race winner Sainz on a multi-year contract this year. The Spaniard became a free agent after Lewis Hamilton replaced him at Ferrari for the 2025 season. The Spaniard reportedly received offers from top teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes. However, Sainz seems to have laid his trust in Williams' projection and growth trend as he took a leap of faith. He will pair up with Alex Albon for the upcoming F1 season.

In comments published this week from his interview at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month, Williams team principal James Vowles spoke highly of his driver's lineup and said Sainz and Albon would gel together since both are non-political drivers. Vowles said (via The Mirror),

"The reason why I call it the best driver pairing is because there's no politics between either of those drivers. Alex and Carlos, neither one is political - they just want to go quick and they just want to develop the team into a quick team. For where Williams is, that's the right partnership, the right line-up."

Volwes also lauded the Spanish driver's "maturity" in handling his exit from Ferrari.

"I think the maturity it shows to have such a big, real issue to deal with in that way, and then to come back from it and not just come back from it, reinvent yourself."

Carlos Sainz had a career-best year in 2024. He accumulated a total of 290 points to finish P5 in the drivers championships. The only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023, the Spaniard took two race wins in the 2024 season.

Williams, meanwhile, had a turbulent season as they sacked Logan Sargeant mid-season to promote Franco Colapinto. The Argentine racer impressed in his short stint. However, with Sainz's deal already locked, Colapinto remains without a seat for the next season.

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Carlos Sainz recalls the "shock" when Ferrari replaced him

Carlos Sainz at F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 (Image Source: Getty)

Appearing on the "Beyond the Grid" podcast earlier this month, Carlos Sainz said he was hurt by Ferrari's decision to replace him with Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. The Spaniard said he "was 99% confident" of continuing with Ferrari until the news took him by surprise. He said (via F1.com)

“I think at the beginning of the year, I was tested more than I’ve ever been tested before and life put me in a situation that was not comfortable at all. I was told that I was not going to continue with the team that I was 99% sure I was going to continue with going into that winter. It was a massive shock to my hopes and I obviously didn’t enjoy that moment."

While the Italian team extended Charles Leclerc's contract in 2023, Sainz's future remained undecided till February 2024, when Ferrari announced the unexpected signing of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The Spaniard then was the center of much speculation regarding his seat for 2025, until he signed with Williams.