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Vowles admits Williams feared losing championship-material duo
James Vowles confessed he worried Williams would lose Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon during a difficult 2026 campaign.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-08-21T14:14:16.000Z - 2 min read
Williams faced a genuine threat of losing both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon as a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season raised doubts over the team's trajectory. Team principal James Vowles admitted ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that he held serious concerns about retaining his driver lineup while the Grove squad struggled to deliver competitive machinery.
The British outfit endured a difficult campaign following high expectations over the winter, featuring a car that was overweight, delayed and missing performance targets. Both drivers evaluated their futures during the summer break before ultimately committing their immediate futures to the squad, securing a lineup that keeps them together for at least the 2027 season.
Despite both drivers reaffirming their loyalty, their new contracts differ in length. Albon signed a single-year extension keeping him with the team through 2027, while Sainz committed to a longer multi-year agreement. Vowles noted that both individuals are world championship-material talents who deserve to fight for podium finishes, making the team's performance slump a shock to everyone involved.
Albon explained that his decision to sign a one-year deal stemmed from a desire to witness tangible improvements firsthand. Having reviewed deep analytical breakdowns regarding why the car missed weight targets and delayed its rollout, the Thai-Briton expressed satisfaction with the explanations while emphasizing that he needs to see those corrective measures materialize next year.
Sainz approached his renewal from a different angle, stating that abandoning a project at the first sign of trouble does not align with his character. The Spaniard acknowledged that he required assurances about how the team plans to prevent similar performance drops in the future, but ultimately decided to extend his stay into his third season with the organization.
Vowles praised both drivers for their constructive response when internal problems surfaced, noting that instead of casting blame, they visited the factory to rally the workforce and lift organizational morale. By laying out structural, procedural and personnel changes behind the scenes, the team principal successfully convinced his star pairing that the recovery project remains on course.