Williams F1 boss James Vowles has conceded he was “surprised” 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Carlos Sainz was overlooked by Red Bull and Mercedes, hailing him as one of the “top four” driver𓂃s on the currꦆent grid.

On Monday, Williams an♋nounced they have siꦇgned Sainz for the next two years.

It’s a major coup for Williams given that Sainz is widely-regarded as one of the best drivers on the grid, stacking up well against 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lando Norris at McLaren and now 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.

Sainz attracted major interest fro𒁏m Audi and Alpine, but opted to join Vowไles’ exciting Williams project.

Speaking on Tuesday, to media 𓂃including in a virtual press conference, Vowles admitted if he was in Red Bull’s position, he would have signed Sainz to put alongside Max Verstappen.

“When you’re in Red Bull’s position where you’ve goꦰt a constructors’ championship at risk,” he said. “It’s a hard decision but yes, I would have Carlos alongsid𝄹e Max.”

Vowles admitted his former team, Mercedes, are in a trickier position giveജn their sways in performance.

“If you’re in Mercedes it’s a hard choice,” he explained. “They’ve swayed between not been competi⭕tive in which case it makes sense to invest in the future [Antonelli] to being very competitive - so now it’s a harder decision whether you invest in known or unknown entities.

“That said, if Mercedes have made that decision they haꦿve ꧃far more information than I do it’s more likely they’re more than confident in the direction of travel. Whether that’s Max or Kimi, I am not sure. They’re not fools. They’ve made this decision sensibly.

“If Red Bull have decided to do this, then again, there’s reasons behind it I won’t be aware of. They’re m💝ultiple world champion🐼s. They don’t make decisions lightly. But I was surprised.”

The 𝐆acquisition of Sainz gives Williams one of the strongest line ups on the grid🍨.

Vowles believes Sainz is among t🙈he top four drivers - a🧸nd at times - the second best.

"Yes [I was surprised], is the short answer to it because I rate him as one of the top four if not at times the number two driver on the grid,” he added. "Why wouldn’t you want that in your stable? My view of things is that fundamentally competito𝔍rs are getting closer and closer so the marginal difference that aꦗ driver can make. I don’t just mean in performance terms.

“𓄧Every team he’s bee✤n in has improved significantly, and I get why spending the last nine months talking to him.

“At least weekly if not daily in truth. Rachel, my partner, has been very confused as to our relationship together relative to ꦿmine with Carlos. What I have realised with him is that he's a performance machine. He absolutely will do everything it takes within his power not to just transform himself but the team around him. That’s powerful.

“That’s worth more than what he can drive the car at. That’s woꦚrth it if you can move the team forward by the same amount.”