McLaren-like 'you're benched' shot fired in Sainz vs Albon rivalry warning

Williams boss James Vowles has issued a stern warning to star drivers Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon should they ever place themselves above the team.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Vowles addressed how he managed relations between Sainz and Albon, amid both of the drivers' highly competitive nature.

He said: "Professional racing drivers are like any elite athlete in the world. They want to have something where they know they can push the limits to, but in a way that they understand what those limits are, so that when they’re transcending it, you have a correction mechanism in place.

"The real key behind it is think of it as creating a box around them. That’s your box. That’s when you push into it. You push a millimeter over that, on the other hand, you step into my world, and this is how we correct it."

Photo: RacePictures.

Clarifying that Sainz and Albon had ample freedom to be themselves, the British team boss also outlined how quick trust can be broken inside a F1 team.

He continued: "It only takes one event that you lose the faith and trust of the team and everyone in the world potentially around you at that point in time. One event is normally all it takes.

“So the construct isn’t trying to restrict them, it’s trying to give them the boundaries where they know, as a sportsman, they can absolutely push themselves to the limit, but at least they know where the limit is now, because unguided, that limit could be in a very different place.”

Carlos Sainz in Singapore - Photo: Race Pictures

However, should Sainz or Albon push the previously agreed upon limits beyond their breaking point, Vowles warned the backlash would be severe, since their actions could endanger everything the team has worked for.

He added: “I think McLaren have this rule as well. Rule number one is you don’t take each other out. You don’t hurt each other. You don’t push each other off track. We are here as a team, and the team is bigger than the two of you.

"And if you’re winning a championship or fighting for a championship, that’s the result of all of us working together at this point in time, not despite the fact that we’re all working together. That’s sort of the core rule that you can’t go beyond."

The Williams team boss then revealed the punishment that would await either drivber should they breach the established boundaries.

“The most harshest of punishments is you’re not in the car next week,” Vowles said.

The team boss' revelation drew a peculiar reaction from the podcast's host, Tom Clarkson. To which Vowles replied with a resolute: “Correct.”

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