The team principal has made his mark since move from Mercedes and is intent on being competitive in F1 by 2026
A week can be a long time in Formula One given that the sport demands swift adaptation and rapid reaction, often coloured with no little ruthlessness. Any doubts whether James Vowles, the Williams team principal, possessed such traits were dismissed when he summarily dispensed with the services of his driver Logan Sargeant this week. It was a statement of intent and a demonstration of his commitment to returning the grand old marque of British F1 to the competitive end of the grid.
Vowles is considered in his words, doubtless the engineer in him, but there is an unmistakable determination about his attitude to transforming Williams. “What I won’t change about the way I work is to be honest,” he says. “You highlight the strengths and the weaknesses, and create a culture where it is OK to do that. Because the truth is on the table, there is nothing to hide behind but equally there is nothing to be fearful of. When you hide something or sugarcoat it, or accept a compromise it will bite you in the backside later.”