Carlos Sainz’s Italian Grand Prix ended in frustration, with the Williams driver narrowly missing out on points at Monza.
Team boss James Vowles admitted the Spaniard deserved more from the race, and stressed the importance of keeping his driver’s spirits up as the season moves on.
While Alex Albon salvaged a strong seventh place for Williams, Sainz finished 11th after a late charge fell short. For Vowles, the result underlined both the team’s potential and the fine margins costing them valuable points.
“Really well done to Alex on his seventh place. It was hard fought, brilliant first stint on hards. And Carlos, really playing the team game and helping along that journey as well,” Vowles explained in a video posted to the team’s social channels.
“I think what it demonstrates is what we've been saying: we have a fast car, but we're not getting it right in qualifying.
"We're just on the edge of getting the tyres to work, and we have to maybe do that, and fast, in order to pick up more points in the future.
“But irrespective, to have a Mercedes and a Ferrari in sight ahead just tells me we're doing a good job overall.”
“I know how he’ll be feeling”
Sainz, who joined Williams this season after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, looked set for points before traffic and timing left him outside the top ten. Vowles felt the Spaniard had driven well enough to secure ninth at least.
“For Carlos, I'm sorry, he did a good race. He was effectively in the right, overtaking [Oliver] Bearman on a charge on the way to get good points today. I'm confident at least P9, if not more.
“And in our circumstances it's frustrating to walk away with nothing. I know how he'll be feeling right now, and our job is to make sure we lift him back up and we stay true and strong as a team. It's one of our values, it's one of our strengths.”
Eyes on Baku
Despite the disappointment, Vowles believes Williams’ progress is clear, and that the upcoming race at the Baku City Circuit offers another opportunity to score well.
“We have Baku coming up next, again, a track that I feel we should be able to perform well at. Once we get qualifying absolutely nailed on, I'm confident we're out there fighting for good points in that weekend,” he added.
With eight rounds left, Sainz’s adaptation to life at Williams continues. And while the Monza result hurt, Vowles is determined to ensure the Spaniard doesn’t lose faith in the team’s upward trajectory.
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