James Vowles ‘at home' at Williams and wants to stay for rest of career

South Wales Argus

a day ago

Vowles, in his third season in charge of the team he joined from Mercedes, inherited a beleaguered outfit which had finished bottom of the constructors' championship for four of the previous five years.
However, heading into Sunday's British Grand Prix, Williams are currently fifth with only the might of McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull ahead of them.
Williams are fifth in the constructors' championship ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Williams' 16th and last combined drivers' and constructors' titles arrived 28 years ago and the impressive Vowles, still only 46, could be forgiven for seeing the Oxfordshire team – established by Sir Frank Williams in an old carpet warehouse – as a stepping stone to one of the grid's bigger beasts.
But when asked in an interview with the PA news agency if he ever envisages leaving, Vowles, who recently agreed a new long-term deal with Williams, replied: 'No. I can seem myself being here for the remainder of my career. And I am very comfortable with that.
'My job is to take this shirt and give it to someone else in a number of years' time, and for the team to be in a much better place as an honour to Sir Frank and his legacy.
'Williams have a passion beyond anything I have ever felt. I have never regretted a minute I have been in the building. I don't mean a day. I mean a single minute. I feel at home, I have done since the day I joined, and I have never for a second wondered if I am good enough or if this is the right place for me.'
Vowles has secured the highly-rated London-born Thai Alex Albon to a long-term deal, and also persuaded Carlos Sainz to join from Ferrari.
Albon and Sainz have delivered more points for Williams after the first 11 rounds than the British team managed across the previous three seasons combined.
However, Vowles has long earmarked next year, and an overhaul of the sport's technical regulations, as a major chance to revive Williams' former glories.
'Do I think we can win the championship?' asks Vowles. 'No, that is unrealistic. We want to anchor ourselves in fifth and move on from there. But can we be in a situation where we are fighting for podiums every now and then? Yes.
'We didn't really put much time and investment into the 2025 car. This is just low-hanging fruit we are picking up by doing the basics right and that is why I am encouraged about our pathway into next season and beyond.'
At Mercedes, Vowles played a key role in six of Lewis Hamilton's record-equalling seven world championships.
The Silver Arrows are currently exploring the possibility of luring Max Verstappen from Red Bull, which some believe would leave George Russell vulnerable.
George Russell's contract with Mercedes is up for renewal at the end of the year (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Russell's deal expires at the end of the season. However, Kimi Antonelli, Russell's rookie team-mate, does not have a firm contract for 2026 either.
And Vowles, who remains good friends with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, indicated he expects Russell to stay put.
He continued: 'Different drivers respond to different pressures and some drivers respond to the pressure of waiting for a deal. It challenges them to push on more.
'I am not seeing a negative impact on George. It makes for interesting reading, and a good story, but I am not actually seeing a driver that is particularly worried or driving differently.
'He is driving his socks off so the pressure might actually be helping him.'