James Vowles reveals when he expects Williams to be fighting for race wins with Carlos Sainz deal ‘one step of about a thousand’

“When it was signed, I was over the moon, and he [Sainz] knows I was over the moon,” Vowles said of signing the three-time Grand Prix winner.

“When I told the factory, which was effectively there and then, I enjoyed the moment. Moments like this, they don’t come many times in your career, where you’ve made a pivotal decision that will completely change the direction and course of an organisation.

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“It was within our management committee, they asked, ‘Right, what are we doing to celebrate?’, and I said, ‘We’re not celebrating’. This is just one step of about a thousand that we need to achieve along our journey to be successful.

“I’ll celebrate when you come to me and say, ‘Congratulations, Williams is a strong competitor fighting for wins and fighting for championships’. As horrible as that sounds, that’s what it takes to get me to a point where I believe we’ve been successful.

“Carlos is a huge asset, he’s a brilliant driver, but he’s a step along the way for this team moving back towards the front.”