Williams team boss James Vowles would prefer Carlos Sainz not to engage in such a fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton in Jeddah again. The Williams driver qualified just ahead of the Brit for the second time in a row, but the subsequent fight between the two in Bahrain resulted in fewer points for Williams.
Carlos Sainz has qualified one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton for the second time in a row. The Madrid-born driver will start from sixth place in Jeddah, while his successor at Ferrari begins the race from seventh place. Williams team boss James Vowles is more than pleased with Sainz’s best starting position since the Spaniard joined the British team.
“I am incredibly proud of Carlos’s progress,” Vowles tells Formula1.com. “It was great to hear him over the radio. Completely in control, working well with the team and with the best strategy to qualify him as high as possible. It was a brilliant round. They gained time in the first three corners.”
‘Be Careful of Lewis’
During the race in Bahrain, Sainz tried with all his might not to give his position to Hamilton, which wore out his tires. Therefore, Vowles would prefer not to see the Spaniard engage in such a fierce battle with the seven-time world champion in Jeddah. “Carlos said this himself, but we need to be a bit careful of Lewis,” says the Williams team boss. “We can qualify high, but we are still slower than the top teams in terms of race pace.”
“So I think we learned from Bahrain that it was great to race with Ferrari, but it ultimately cost us points,” concludes Vowles. Whether Sainz will indeed make it easier for Hamilton in Jeddah, we will see.
