Williams announce Mercedes strategy chief James Vowles as new team boss

Williams have revealed that Mercedes strategist James Vowles will take the place of Jost Capito as their new team boss, completing the recent merry-go-round of F1 managerial changes.

Capito and Technical Director FX Demaison both left Williams in December following a 2022 season in which the team placed at the bottom of the F1 constructors’ standings, having scored just eight points.

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Capito’s exit came amid a flurry of movements that saw Frederic Vasseur replace Mattia Binotto at Ferrari, Andreas Seidl leave McLaren to fill the position vacated by Vasseur at Alfa Romeo, and Andrea Stella in turn take Seidl’s spot.

And on Friday, Williams confirmed that Capito – who joined the team in late 2020 – is to be replaced by Vowles, formerly the chief strategist at Mercedes.

Vowles has enjoyed a 21-year career in F1, representing the Silver Arrows since 2010, and serving as their Motorsport Strategy Director over the last four years. He previously held key engineering and strategy roles at Mercedes, Brawn GP, Honda and BAR.

Vowles, who also worked with Williams Brand Ambassador Jenson Button during their title-winning days at Brawn, will join the Grove operation on February 20, ahead of the 2023 season opener in Bahrain.

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“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,” said Vowles.

“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.”

Dorilton Capital Chairman 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.

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“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.”

Earlier this week, Williams shared plans for a ‘season launch’ on February 6, which will involve Alex Albon and new team mate Logan Sargeant showing off the outfit’s 2023 livery.