Williams gets a new team principal for 2023

MIDZAIN

Williams Racing has been the team in the dumps for the better part of the last five years, only scoring eight points in last year’s 2022 season. The old name in British racing’s new owners made a major move in their restructuring with the announcement on Jan. 13 that James Vowles, strategist at Mercedes, is now the new team principal (TP) at Williams.

Vowles has had a successful 21year career in Formula One, working at Mercedes since 2010, and as the Motorsport Strategy Director the last four years. Before that, Vowles worked with Brawn GP, Honda, and British American Racing (BAR). Team strategy and design has played a massive role in Mercedes’ rise to dominance in the sport since 2014.

“I cannot wait to start with Williams Racing. 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,” Vowles told F1 reporters. “Williams Racing have placed their faith and trust in me, and I will do the same in return. The team has tremendous potential, and our journey together starts in a matter of weeks.”

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Most recently, Vowles has been off the pit wall during race weekends and working directly alongside Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, as Wolff’s “right-hand” man. Wolff has been supportive of losing a key member of the Mercedes team and a “sparring partner,” but notes that it’s a smart move for both Vowles and Williams, and the sport overall.

“He’s been having a massive contribution, not only to what’s happening during the races, but also in terms of the global strategy of the team, and Mercedes Motorsport in general,” Wolff told F1 press when the news broke.

“James has been around for a long time, he’s seen it all — the intelligent things and the less intelligent things. I have no doubt that Williams choosing James is a fantastic move for them.”

One could say Vowles was in a perfect position to grow as the Silver Arrows’ new TP if or when Wolff decides his time in the chair is at an end, but Williams has had a manufacturing and engine supply deal with Mercedes since the start of the V6 turbo-hybrid era. It only makes sense that Williams would look to Mercedes for new leadership.

The team’s former principal and CEO Jost Capito departed near the end of 2022 as part of the team principal change-up at the end of the season.

In addition to losing Capito, Williams also parted ways with their technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison.

Captio was acting as the racing team’s CEO on top of the responsibilities of the team principal whereas Vowles is solely responsible for being the TP, letting him focus on rebuilding the team, and the car, with a realistic, longterm goal. With Logan Sargent coming in as the new second driver and Jessica Chadwick continuing in their Driver Academy, Williams is taking the smart steps in the long-run strategy. Vowles has worked with some of the most talented drivers in the last era of the sport and is a great person to help Alex Albon and Logan Sargaent’s careers.

Vowles is scheduled to take the reins of the British racing team in late February, the perfect time for Barcelona training after the team’s 2023 car launches in February. Williams is scheduled as one of the earlier reveals, giving Vowles more time to set his leadership style in place.