Williams team principal James Vowles has revealed that he and Carlos Sainz shared a candid conversation ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend that proved to be a turning point in the Spaniard’s challenging 2025 season.
Sainz’s move from Ferrari’s scarlet glory to Williams’ midfield hustle has been anything but smooth. The 31-year-old has grappled with adapting to a less competitive car, and Lady Luck hasn’t exactly been his co-driver this season.
Outshone by teammate Alex Albon and without points since the Canadian Grand Prix, Sainz faced a six-race drought in the top 10. But something clicked in Baku, and it all traced back to a pivotal Thursday night dinner with Vowles.
"He and I have a really good relationship where we talk really candidly and openly about what's going on, what's going wrong, and what's going right? And how do we capitalise on it together?" Vowles explained.
There was evidently more on the menu than just food as the duo hit the “reset” button, setting the stage for Sainz’s emotional milestone.
"We had dinner here on Thursday, which was basically a reset point of: 'What do we do going forward? How can I help? And how do we do this?'" the Williams boss continued.
©Williams
Sainz, who has struggled for form since switching from Ferrari, arrived in Azerbaijan under pressure.
But according to Vowles, the mood shift was immediate.
"Carlos was in a great place at that point. And I'm not surprised he came into this weekend swinging, because that was the mood that he had from the outset."
Proof in the Performance
The results spoke volumes. In qualifying, Sainz lit up the timing screens, holding provisional pole before ultimately securing second place on the grid.
He then converted that strong position into third place in Sunday’s race, ending a six-race point-less streak and giving Williams its first podium in four years.
For Vowles, the breakthrough was never about Sainz’s speed, but about clearing away the noise.
"And the real key is this: his performance has always been there,” he said.
“If you didn't have performance, this becomes really tough, and it's really hard to put one thing on, 'This has happened', because so many things have across the season."
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Sainz and Vowles’ dinner reset appears to have worked wonders. After months of frustration, missed opportunities, and being overshadowed by teammate Alex Albon, the four-time Grand Prix winner finally has the momentum he – and Williams – desperately needed.
If Azerbaijan was the litmus test for this new approach, then both driver and team passed with flying colours.
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