Williams Racing appoint James Vowles as team principle

Mercedes’ Motorsport Strategy Director, James Vowles, has been appointed as Williams Racing’s Team Principal following Jost Capito’s departure at the end of 2022.

On Friday, Williams announced that Vowles will join the team on February 20, ahead of the 2023 Formula One season opener in Bahrain (March 3-5).

The move comes after Williams were forced to find a replacement for Capito after he left the team at the end of 2022, following a two-season stint at the team after Dorilton Capital’s purchase of the racing outfit.

Speaking on his appointment, Vowles said:

“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.

“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.”

Vowles has had an extensive 21-year career in the sport and has played a key role in the success at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Brawn GP over the years, he has overseen over 120 race victories.

Prior to his four-year stint as Mercedes’ Motorsport Strategy Director, the team principle played key engineering and strategy roles at the Brackley-based outfit, he also took up similar roles in former teams such as Honda Racing, Brawn GP and British American Racing.

During his tenure at Brawn GP, before it transitioned into Mercedes in 2010, Vowles oversaw the race strategy which led to Jenson Button securing the 2009 Formula 1 World Title and helped the team secure the constructors title.

Chairman of Dorilton Capital, Matthew Savage welcomed Vowles arrival. He said:

“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.”

That’s all for the article; Williams Racing appoint James Vowles as team principle! What do you think of the shock move? Let us know in the comments!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Andretti and Cadillac partner up for F1 pursuit
• Mercedes sign Mick Schumacher as Reserve driver
• Andreas Seidl takes over as Sauber Group CEO
• Fred Vasseur to join Ferrari in 2023
• Jost Capito leaves Williams ahead of 2023
• Formula 1 reveal venues for 2023 sprint races

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.