James Vowles urges caution against excessive optimism following the first free practice. At the Albert Park Street Circuit, Carlos Sainz Jr and Alexander Albon continued their excellent performance from the winter test in Bahrain, but the Williams team boss does not expect his team to easily compete with the top teams on Sunday.
In the first free practice of the Australian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz clocked the second fastest time and Alexander Albon the sixth. However, James Vowles is not getting ahead of himself. The Williams team boss still sees McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes as the top four ‘giants’ of the sport. “We have to be realistic. I would love to say that we will get in between them, but that’s not the reality of where we stand right now. I think you’ll see the field as the closest it’s ever been, and it would be great to occasionally scratch at that window, to be a nuisance,” he says during the press conference.
Vowles also looks at the other teams and is wary of the competition on the field. He does not only expect Williams to occasionally mix with the top four teams. “It doesn’t take much to make a small mistake and fall back a few tenths. But I think we have a good foundation to build on, something I’ve been working towards as a team.”
Visible Impact of Sainz
Sainz is part of that foundation. With him, Williams finally has a driver alongside Albon whose impact is clearly visible. Vowles is full of praise for the 30-year-old Spaniard. “His ability to communicate about what’s happening in the car is fantastic. His insight into what’s happening around him in the team, how he can help them move forward, what excellence and winning mean, and how he can improve our situation, is his strength.”
For Vowles, this was an important reason to bring Sainz on board, especially considering the team’s long-term goals. “We knew he was fast, but I’m really impressed with his ability to communicate with our aero team and our engineers and also to take them on a journey.”
