Vowles says two drivers in contention for final Williams seat in 2025 as he praises 'incredible' Sainz

James Vowles has said that just two drivers are in the running for the final seat at Williams in 2025, with the team boss speaking openly about his belief that Carlos Sainz would be a “good match” for the squad.

While Alex Albon was confirmed in May to continue as a Williams driver beyond the current season – having signed a multi-year contract, taking him through to the introduction of new technical regulations in 2026 – the position of his team mate currently remains vacant, with Logan Sargeant’s chances of retaining his spot at the Grove-based outfit looking uncertain.

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As such, Vowles has spoken highly of Sainz, who has been linked with a switch to Williams as he searches for a new destination in 2025 amid his impending departure from Ferrari.

Asked during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend how many drivers are under consideration for the second seat at his team, Vowles answered: “The shortlist is two drivers, simple as that, of which I think we’ve been very open on discussing who’s very much at the top of our list.

“But it’s now determining what we can do to find a match with, in this circumstance, Carlos, who I think is an incredible driver, he’s a race-winning driver – he’s one that, last year, above all others was able to find his way through. But it’s his choice as to where he wants to go to.”

While the most likely options for Sainz now seem to be either Williams or Sauber – ahead of the latter’s transition into Audi’s works outfit in 2026 – Vowles is confident that the former would be the best choice for the Spaniard.

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“It’s been highlighted that there’s one or two options for him and we’re very much one of those two,” said Vowles. “I personally think we’re the right option – it’s a good match made together, but the choice remains, of course, his.”

As for the incumbent Sargeant, Vowles has praised the American’s progression since joining the team in 2023, but acknowledged that he needs to take further steps in order to secure his position.

“I think there's no doubt [that he has taken a step forwards], actually very similar to Oscar [Piastri], second year of running, and you are now seeing the confidence start to build as a result of it, and there is performance there,” the Team Principal explained.

“We also haven't had the cars in the same spec for a period of time. Some of that's still due to the earlier damage that we're building up to, some of that is because we pulled forward upgrades, and there was simply not enough to put across two cars.

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“He is continuously evolving as an individual, as I hope he would be in that circumstance. Is he where I need him to be target-wise? And that's the big question of things. We need more from him, really, to be able to save his seat in that sort of circumstance.”