Williams "wasn’t ready" for Formula 1’s top technical figure Adrian Newey.
That’s the view of the Grove based team’s boss James Vowles, who very publicly tried to woo the departing Red Bull guru to Williams.
Ultimately, 65-year-old decided upon Aston Martin, but only quite some time after Williams pulled out of the running.
"It was nothing to do with money," Vowles told Auto Motor und Sport, "although there was a bidding war at the end that we didn’t want to take part in. I want people who believe in our project.
"Williams wasn’t ready for someone like Adrian," he added. "We still have so much work to do before we can offer someone of his calibre the right environment. He would have overwhelmed our team and that could have had the opposite effect.
"He would have ended up frustrated," Vowles continued. "And I don’t want to build an infrastructure that depends on one person."
Interestingly, however, Vowles did succeed in his mission to sign the Ferrari refugee Carlos Sainz for 2025 and beyond - beating the similarly-keen Audi and Alpine to the deal.
"The fact that Alpine and Audi didn’t get him is not important to me," he insisted. "What was important to me was that the Williams of today is no longer the Williams of three years ago. Carlos would not have signed for the Williams of the past.
"At the same time, we demonstrated that we are capable of getting something if it is important to us."
Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore said he was not disappointed to miss out on Sainz because a top driver is not able to make the difference unless he also has a top car.
Vowles disagrees.
"Carlos can make a difference with any car," he said. "That’s why we brought him in. He will take us forward because he has put his heart and soul into the team."
One potential risk, however, is that Sainz may become frustrated in the middle of the grid.
"I don’t see any problems in providing an environment where Carlos and Alex (Albon) are happy," said Vowles. "The biggest challenge will be to serve both cars at the same time when we have upgrades. That hasn’t always been the case this year."