Williams swoop to sign James Vowles as new F1 team boss after poaching him from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes
WILLIAMS have signed James Vowles as team boss after poaching him from Mercedes.
Vowles has been in Formula One for 21-years and won nine F1 constructors’ championships with Brawn GP and Mercedes.
He was most recently Motorsport Strategy Director at Merc, a position he held for over four years.
The 43-year-old Brit replaces German Jost Capito, who was released from the role at the end of last season with Williams finishing last in the championship.
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.”
Merc boss Wolff added: “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.
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“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.”