James Vowles has left his Mercedes role to become the new team principal of Williams F1 Team from the 2023 season onward.
Having been part of the Mercedes family for 20 years and most recently as the Motorsport Strategy Director, Vowles is leaving the German team to join Williams as its new team principal in place of Jost Capito, who was incharge for coulple of seasons.
Vowles comes with rich experience from Mercedes and working under Toto Wolff, who is regarded as one of the best in business. The Brit has also worked with Honda, Brawn GP and British American Racing and is now to take a leap into a larger team boss role.
Even though Williams has announced February 6 as its season launch and livery reveal, Vowles won’t be part of the team in official capacity until February 20. It is down to the exit procedure from Mercedes and fulfilling their requirements before starting the new work.
He will be there in time for the first pre-season test in Bahrain and the first grand prix. “I cannot wait to start with Williams Racing,” said Vowles. “It’s an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage. The team is an icon of our sport, one I greatly respect, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge.
“Mercedes have been hugely supportive on my journey, and we part on excellent terms after over 20 years of working in Brackley. I am grateful for everything Toto [Wolff] and the team have provided, and it has been such a special experience to journey together through failure and success. Williams Racing have placed their faith and trust in me, and I will do the same in return. Williams has tremendous potential, and our journey together starts in a matter of weeks.”
His former boss Wolff stated: “James has been a highly valued member of our team in his role as Motorsport Strategy Director, playing an integral part in our success in recent years. Having worked with him since I first joined the team in 2013, I know how diligent, capable and talented he is and have taken great satisfaction from watching James develop and grow over the past decade.
“Since stepping back from the pit wall mid-season last year, he has continued to build the capability of our strategy team at Brackley, and we have a fantastic group of talented strategists who will continue their superb work in the years to come.
“While we are naturally sad to be saying goodbye to such a capable member of the team, I have no doubts whatsoever that he has all the necessary skills to become a fantastic Team Principal in Formula One. We wish him every success and are delighted that he will take this next step in his career with Williams, a strong technical partner of ours and one that has a place close to my own heart.”
And finally Dorilton’s Matthew Savage added: “We are delighted to welcome James to Williams Racing. He is one of the most highly respected talents in Formula 1 and will bring performance. He has been a key part of some of the most impressive feats in the sport over the past 15 years.
“As we continue our relentless pursuit for results, we believe that the appointment of James reinforces our dedication to ensuring we have energetic, experienced, and strong leadership as we move into the next phase of transforming Williams Racing.” The team is ye to announce the replacement of technical director FX Demaison.
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