James Vowles expressed his reluctance to have Carlos Sainz join Williams if the departing Ferrari driver views the position merely as a brief layover before his next major career move.
Recently, the 29-year-old Spanish driver looked likely to finalize a deal, yet Valtteri Bottas is now the strong frontrunner to join Grove in 2025 alongside Alex Albon.
"Wearing a black t-shirt and a black cap, Bottas sneaked into the Williams motorhome at Silverstone," Roger Benoit, a seasoned Swiss journalist, noted while covering this weekend's Hungarian GP for the Blick newspaper.
"There, he discussed things for half an hour with team boss James Vowles."
Vowles, the head of Williams, now acknowledges that Sainz might not be the top choice for 2025.
"I think we've been fairly forthright and open on who we'd like to sign," he revealed to Talksport, "but that doesn't mean it will necessarily happen. We know where we place in the grand scheme of things."
Speculation has been that Sainz annoyed Vowles by missing several key decision deadlines and attempting to negotiate a contract that would allow him an easy exit, thus keeping his options open for moving to a more prestigious team.
"What I would say is this," Vowles elaborated. "What I want is a driver that also wants to be a part of our journey, that understands what Williams is about, both the old and the new, and wants that to be at the heart of what they're doing driving-wise."
"And sometimes that doesn't match up," he added. "Sometimes it does, but that's really important to me."
In discussing whether he doesn't want Williams perceived as merely a transient step in a driver's career, Vowles responded: "Correct."
"That's important to me," Vowles affirmed. "And I want that to be at the foundation of a decision."
However, Vowles recognizes Sainz's hesitation. "I get it," he said.
"To some extent, his dream was to be in a Ferrari or in a top team. That's not happening.
"My goal behind is simply to lay it on the table. 'This is what we can offer. If you want it, great, we're here. And if you don't, not a problem'. We're going to find our own pathway through to things.
"So his timeline might not be the same as my timeline is the best way of putting it."
Compounding the uncertainty for Logan Sargeant's retention of his seat into 2025, Vowles has confirmed he is "definitely" in discussions with "other drivers" apart from Sainz.
Regarding Sargeant, "He has to be there. He has to perform. He has to be at the right level," Vowles concluded.
