Williams have explained how they convinced Carlos Sainz to join, after🌳 sharing sensitive information about their car.

The decision💎 for outgoing Ferrari driver and grand prix winner Sainz to pen a long-term deal with Williams is a majo🧸r coup for the British team.

Discussions which began in Abu Dhabi last year evolved into brutally honest discussions about Williams’ progression - and the ‘compromises’ that Sainz must sign up✤ for.

Team principal James Vowles told the F1 Nation podcast: “I gave him quite accurate weigh🐭t figures, from where the car is overweight. So he can go back and calculate where the car would have been.

“For the world, it mea🐼nt we would’ve been point-scoring at every race, particularly at the beginning of the year🌱.

“That’s pa🃏inful for me. But it’s also a sign of performance added to the car.

“Weight can be removed, and we are removing it. It’s hard to add real, tangible aerodynamic 🐻perfꦆormance.

“Weight is just a function, I’ve done it 100 times in my career. Add three kilos, it’s about three tenths. Take off three kil♉os, it’s about three tenths. He knows that, he can see it.

“He ♍put together ‘this is where you are performance-wise’ which allows him a clearer view of where the performance is. That was encouraging.

“I showed him where we are investing🍌 in the future in a lightweight way, I couldn’t give him the in-depth.

“He knew about all the people we are signing. There are more who we haven🌼’t announced.

“I took him through why we’re changing what we’re changing, why it will take time, why 2024 is a compromise. 2025 is a compromise as well which was a difficult position for him because he’s highly competitive and doesn’t want to be on t🦩he back foot.

“But here’s why 2026 is exciting…”

Sainz will replace Logan Sargeant and form an exciting duo with Alex Al🌼bon in 2025.

'No politics; we have one of best line-ups'

Vowles explained how he informed his 1,000-strong workfo🐬rce of the major accomplishment to sign Sainz, ahead of Saub🦄er and Alpine.

“We se𝓀t up a projector screen with a TV,” Vowles said. “I walked in, Netflix we༒re with me. Six hundred to 700 people in there.

“I said ‘it’s best that you watcဣh the screen’. I’ve had the pleasure🦩 of winning races and championships.

“I promise you, the reaction to this was the most emotional I’ve seen in my Formula 1 career. It 🦂was extraordinar♕y.

“The shouting, screaming…

“Carlos did a piece to camera♉🎃 of a minute-and-a-half. They missed the first minute! There was screaming ongoing.

“That, alone, told me what it mean♕t to those individuals. I followed up by walking around to ask 🔯people what it means.

“It’s a statement of intent, a clear statement of intent. We are investing at the right level. We h🎃ave one of - if not the - best driver line-ups on the grid as a combination.

“There are no politics. ✱They are both just performance machines.”

Vowles a꧙dded: “The second thing it meant to the team is the more important thing.

“Carlos is quick, I knew from the 🦩outset. But he’s a performance machine - he wants thousands of details to be at the right level for him to perform, and give back to the team. He wants the team to be better.

“It’s no coincidence that eveꦏry team he’s been at has improved after his🦂 tenure. I can see why after many months of talking to him.

“🤪The conclusion that the factory came to was: we have got to step up our game, as well.

“Not ending up with a﷽🍒 floor isn’t good enough. We need three floors delivered at the right standard. We need everything in advance. The performance must match the driver line-up we have.”