Williams boss James Vowles says the team have offered Carlos Sainz an insight into their plans for F1 2026 and beyond ahead of his arrival from Ferrari for the F1 2025 season.

Sainz is due to start work with Williams next month, having announced in July that he will join the Grove-based team on a multi-year contract from F1 2025.

Carlos Sainz to race for Williams after Ferrari exit

The Spaniard was informed last winter that his Ferrari contract would not be extended beyond F1 2024, with Sainz forced to make way for seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz responded to the news by producing arguably the most complete season of his career, claiming two victories in Australia and Mexico.

Next season will mark 13 years since Williams’ last win at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, with the team finishing bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in four of the last seven seasons.

Carlos Sainz and Williams: A marriage made in heaven?

👉 Carlos Sainz to Williams: Five reasons why surprise F1 2025 move isn’t as crazy as it sounds

👉 How Max Verstappen vs Carlos Sainz tensions resulted in Red Bull sacking spree

Under the leadership of former Mercedes strategist Vowles, however, the team have made encouraging progress over the last couple of years, with Williams targeting a major step when the major technical regulation changes arrive in F1 2026.

Vowles has reassured Sainz that Williams have big plans for the future, offering the new signing a glimpse of the team’s ambitions under the new rules.

He told Sky F1: “What we can provide is this: he knows what we’ve got coming, certainly in ’26, ’27, ’28. We’ve given him some insight into all of that.

“It’s worth speaking to him over myself. Every time I talk to him, he’s actually quite motivated by what is coming in our future together and he can see the difference that he can make here.

“For sure, we’re way further back than Ferrari and even McLaren where he was before, but we have an environment where he can make a tremendous difference.

“That’s really what’s motivating more than anything else. Every time I talk to him, he’s just: ‘Have you thought about this? Should we do this? Where should we go here?’

“That’s why he’s still out there winning races in a Ferrari.

“I think he sees the future potential and that’s what’s driving him.”

Sainz represented Williams in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, clocking 146 laps and setting the second-fastest time of the day behind former Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

That run out came after Williams announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with Spanish bank Santander, which previously supported Ferrari between 2022 and 2024.

Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore recently claimed that the Renault-owned team backed out of a deal to sign Sainz for F1 2025 as the outgoing Ferrari driver was only interested in a short-term contract.

Alpine went on to promote Jack Doohan as Pierre Gasly’s new team-mate for next season following Esteban Ocon’s switch to Haas, with Doohan making his F1 debut in Abu Dhabi.

Briatore, who manages Sainz’s boyhood idol Fernando Alonso, told German publication Auto Motor und Sport: “I spoke to Sainz. He was interesting for us, but only for four years.

“It makes no sense to take a driver like Carlos for one or two years. Either he believes in our programme or he doesn’t.

“I don’t need a driver who costs me a lot of money and is looking to go to another team when the opportunity arises.”

Read next: 12 F1 drivers we still can’t believe won a Grand Prix