02/08/2025 14:00
Williams team principal James Vowles is anticipating another major
driver market shift to occur next year. The current grid saw a huge
shake-up in the field as only two teams - McLaren and Aston Martin
- entered the year with the same line-up from the 2024 campaign.
Next year will see the introduction of new technical regulations,
with significant changes being made to the aerodynamics and the
power units. Half of the grid, including world champions Lewis
Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, are believed to be out of contract at
the end of the season. Vowles is expecting various conversations to
be held throughout the paddock ahead of more driver movement for
the 2027 campaign. "I think the end of 2026 will be another big
driver market move," he told Sky F1. "In and around, a lot of
drivers' contracts come up at that stage." Williams has Alex Albon
and Carlos Sainz under contract for next year as it targets a step
up in the pecking order. Vowles has asserted he will start
conversations over his 2027 drives early in the year to avoid
complications later in the season. "I have two drivers who believe
in what we are doing with the longevity of this team, the
investment in this team and the direction to go back towards
winning championships," Vowles added. "My job in all of this is to
make sure they are fairly rewarded for that journey and they want
to be a part of that journey at the same time. "That's what I can
provide and offer them. If someone else wants to offer them twice
the money, that's their choice in doing so. "They are key leaders
on having a direct impact on what this car looks like tomorrow and
what it looks like in one year's time. "That's something not
provided to a lot of drivers up and down the grid, almost treated
as a separate asset and entity that comes in. "That's not what we
provide here. The second part of it is making sure we have
conversations early enough in 2026 that 'this is where I want us to
be for the future' instead of letting things linger until the
August break. Commit early."
