Latest news with #Vowles
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘He hasn't finished' – F1 team boss and former Lewis Hamilton colleague gives verdict on Brit's Ferrari struggles
Boss also opened up on his teams podium chances this season LEWIS HAMILTON has been backed to get back to winning ways by Formula One boss James Vowles. Vowles, now the team principal of the Williams Racing F1 team, worked alongside Hamilton at Mercedes for over ten years as the team achieved unprecedented success in the motorsport. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Lewis Hamilton has been backed to get back to winning ways by former Mercedes chief James Vowles Credit: Getty 5 Hamilton has struggled to produce results since joining Ferrari at the start of the season Credit: Getty 5 Vowles has led a huge resurgence of Williams Racing since becoming team principal Credit: AFP He departed his position as strategy director for the Silver Arrows in January 2023 to become the team principal of Williams Racing with Hamilton then following suit by announcing his exit to Ferrari a year later. However, despite a Sprint Race win during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton has struggled to get the best out of his new drive in 2025. Indeed, the seven-time world champion is yet to finish above P5 during a Sunday race. But Vowles - who helped Hamilton to win six of his seven F1 drivers' titles - reckons his old colleague has more to give. READ MORE IN F1 SWEAR BY IT F1 chiefs make major change to controversial swearing punishment after backlash Speaking to media including Sun Sport during an event at the Williams base this week, the 45-year-old said: "I haven't chatted to him much, but the same adaption you've seen Carlos [Sainz] have to do into our car. "It's hard to explain, but all of us are going, even though the cars are in the temperature of each other, we are quite different in terms of the philosophies that we're adapting to, where the weight is, where the air balances, how much drag performance, and the front tyres are weaker this year. "And I think when you merge that all together, it takes a little bit of time for drivers to be able to get up to speed. "I'd probably say give him time, because he hasn't finished. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "I think people are reflecting on more than anything else on his qualifying position, but in the racing, he's still there challenging Charles [Leclerc] all the way through. "So I'm not seeing that he's particularly off the pace, it's just bits that he has to fix on the way." Lewis Hamilton fumes 'have a tea break while you're at it' at Ferrari staff and refuses to apologise in Miami GP bust-up After six races of the season, Hamilton has out-qualified Monegasque team-mate Charles Leclerc just once. Although Leclerc's own underwhelming race results this season mean they are separated by 12 points with Ferrari down in fourth place in the Constructors' World Championship standings. During the last race week in Miami, Hamilton had a last-lap collision with the man he replaced at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, as the Spaniard attempted to overtake him to score more points for Williams. The iconic team had finished last in the 2022 F1 season before Vowles' arrival but are now running top of the midfield with almost double the points of the team in sixth, Haas. Williams improvement Vowles sang the praises of the team at the factory and their "world-class" driver combination of Sainz and Alex Albon. The pair had been involved in an untelevised radio spat in Miami after Albon overtook Sainz despite having a reliability issue, with Sainz complaining over an alleged team orders break. But the issue was sorted within two minutes after the race, with Vowles saying the gaffe was down to the pit wall and revealing Sainz had spent 45 minutes offering solutions on how to fix it in the debrief. He explained how the duo have been instrumental in extracting the best out of the car and believes the gap to the cars in front of them are "only a couple of tenths". However, Vowles declared he was "not interested" in potentially lucking into a podium and said the team would have to "dig deep" to have a chance to scoring their first top three finish since George Russell in 2021, or Lance Stroll in 2017 for a full race. He said: "In my world, there's two different types of podiums. One where we've almost lucked into it, and I'm not interested, I mean that can happen this year, but I'm not overly interested in that. "There's one where we earn it, because we've actually built a car. And that's what made Miami special. "We were there fighting, not because six other cars in front of us disappeared, but we were there fighting on their end. "You can see what the gaps are, it's actually just a matter of a couple of tenths now is what we're missing in order for that to happen, and a track rarities and expose our vices. "So the difficulty will be this, it's a relative gain, in fact most of the teams you're already hearing are bringing up base in the last race, Red Bull Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, there are definitely three other teams, so the interest is to see what the next movement will be. "It's a couple of tenths, I'm just not sure we have the ability to find that within this year without focusing on next year. We're obviously going to dig deep and see what we can find in it." The Imola Grand Prix is up next this weekend but follows reports the iconic circuit could drop off the F1 calendar. 5 Vowles sung the praises of Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
‘He hasn't finished' – F1 team boss and former Lewis Hamilton colleague gives verdict on Brit's Ferrari struggles
LEWIS HAMILTON has been backed to get back to winning ways by Formula One boss James Vowles. Vowles, now the team principal of the Williams Racing F1 team, worked alongside Hamilton at Mercedes for over ten years as the team achieved unprecedented success in the motorsport. 5 Lewis Hamilton has been backed to get back to winning ways by former Mercedes chief James Vowles Credit: Getty 5 Hamilton has struggled to produce results since joining Ferrari at the start of the season Credit: Getty 5 Vowles has led a huge resurgence of Williams Racing since becoming team principal Credit: AFP He departed his position as strategy director for the Silver Arrows in January 2023 to become the team principal of Williams Racing with Hamilton then following suit by announcing his exit to Ferrari a year later. However, despite a Sprint Race win during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton has struggled to get the best out of his new drive in 2025. Indeed, the seven-time world champion is yet to finish above P5 during a Sunday race. But Vowles - who helped Hamilton to win six of his seven F1 drivers' titles - reckons his old colleague has more to give. READ MORE IN F1 Speaking to media including Sun Sport during an event at the Williams base this week, the 45-year-old said: "I haven't chatted to him much, but the same adaption you've seen Carlos [Sainz] have to do into our car. "It's hard to explain, but all of us are going, even though the cars are in the temperature of each other, we are quite different in terms of the philosophies that we're adapting to, where the weight is, where the air balances, how much drag performance, and the front tyres are weaker this year. "And I think when you merge that all together, it takes a little bit of time for drivers to be able to get up to speed. "I'd probably say give him time, because he hasn't finished. Most read in Motorsport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "I think people are reflecting on more than anything else on his qualifying position, but in the racing, he's still there challenging Charles [Leclerc] all the way through. "So I'm not seeing that he's particularly off the pace, it's just bits that he has to fix on the way." Lewis Hamilton fumes 'have a tea break while you're at it' at Ferrari staff and refuses to apologise in Miami GP bust-up After six races of the season, Hamilton has out-qualified Monegasque team-mate Although Leclerc's own underwhelming race results this season mean they are separated by 12 points with Ferrari down in fourth place in the Constructors' World Championship standings. During the last race week in Miami, Hamilton had a last-lap collision with the man he replaced at Ferrari, The iconic team had finished last in the 2022 F1 season before Vowles' arrival but are now running top of the midfield with almost double the points of the team in sixth, Haas. Williams improvement Vowles sang the praises of the team at the factory and their "world-class" driver combination of Sainz and Alex Albon. The pair had been involved in an untelevised radio spat in Miami after Albon overtook Sainz despite having a reliability issue, with Sainz complaining over an alleged team orders break. But the issue was sorted within two minutes after the race, with Vowles saying the gaffe was down to the pit wall and revealing Sainz had spent 45 minutes offering solutions on how to fix it in the debrief. He explained how the duo have been instrumental in extracting the best out of the car and believes the gap to the cars in front of them are "only a couple of tenths". However, Vowles declared he was "not interested" in potentially lucking into a podium and said the team would have to "dig deep" to have a chance to scoring their first top three finish since He said: "In my world, there's two different types of podiums. One where we've almost lucked into it, and I'm not interested, I mean that can happen this year, but I'm not overly interested in that. "There's one where we earn it, because we've actually built a car. And that's what made Miami special. "We were there fighting, not because six other cars in front of us disappeared, but we were there fighting on their end. "You can see what the gaps are, it's actually just a matter of a couple of tenths now is what we're missing in order for that to happen, and a track rarities and expose our vices. "So the difficulty will be this, it's a relative gain, in fact most of the teams you're already hearing are bringing up base in the last race, Red Bull Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, there are definitely three other teams, so the interest is to see what the next movement will be. "It's a couple of tenths, I'm just not sure we have the ability to find that within this year without focusing on next year. We're obviously going to dig deep and see what we can find in it." The Imola Grand Prix is up next this weekend but follows reports the iconic circuit could drop off the F1 calendar. 5 Vowles sung the praises of Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon Credit: Getty 5
The Star
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Vowles expects Colapinto to show his speed with Alpine
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Williams' Franco Colapinto before the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo GROVE, England (Reuters) - Franco Colapinto will do a good job for Alpine regardless of any turmoil at the Renault-owned Formula One team and the deadlines they set, the Argentine's previous boss James Vowles said on Tuesday. Colapinto, 21, will step up from a reserve role at Alpine and replace Australian Jack Doohan, dropped after the first six races, for at least the next five rounds starting at Imola in Italy this weekend. The Argentine raced for Vowles at Williams in the last nine races of last season, replacing dropped American Logan Sargeant, and made an immediate impression with points in his second outing and in two of his first four starts. He was signed by Alpine in January on a multi-year loan deal. Colapinto will be making his Alpine debut two weeks after Oliver Oakes resigned as principal with Italian Flavio Briatore, 75, taking charge. "Is it in a turbulent time? Yes, no doubt about it," Vowles said of Colapinto's return to the starting grid amid upheaval at Alpine's Enstone base. "I actually think the learning is invaluable. "Whether it's in that team or elsewhere, it's time on track and it's time in a difficult environment. And if you come out of it you'll only be stronger as a result, and Franco is stronger so I think it's still the right place for him to be at this stage." Vowles said Alpine as a team would be highly supportive of Colapinto and teammate Pierre Gasly and expected the Argentine to repay their faith. "I'm proud he was part of our academy and that we have a responsibility towards why he's now on the grid today," he said. "What you saw with us is he got up to speed very quickly. I know he's immensely quick. So I think, irrespective of whatever deadline they've set, he'll do a good job in that period of time." Alpine are ninth in the 10 team championship, with Williams currently fifth. Imola is the start of the season's second 'triple-header', with races on three successive weekends and Monaco and Spain following the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Why the next big F1 superstar might be American — and how James Vowles sees it happening
James Vowles highlights America's rapid growth in Formula 1, crediting rising fan interest and predicting an imminent breakthrough U.S. driver. (credit: Planet F1) Formula 1's recent surge in popularity across the United States has been nothing short of transformative, and Williams team principal James Vowles is among those who've witnessed—and embraced—that shift. Once a niche motorsport in America, F1 is now riding a wave of cultural relevance, economic power, and fan engagement that is reshaping the sport's future. James Vowles hints an American F1 breakthrough is closer than ever as U.S. influence explodes During a candid interview with the Wall Street Journal, James Vowles reflected on just how far F1 has come stateside. Operation Sindoor 'Our job is to hit target, not to count body bags': Air Marshal Bharti on Op Sindoor Precautionary blackout imposed across parts of Rajasthan, Punjab 'Indian Navy was in position to strike Karachi': Vice Admiral on Operation Sindoor 'Yeah, it is hugely significant. I mean, what I always compare it to is where we were 10 years ago, where F1 wasn't even really known as a sport or a brand properly within the U.S.,' he noted. The contrast is now striking. Formula 1 has become the fastest-growing market for the sport, with American sponsors making up a sizable chunk of the commercial ecosystem. 'A quarter of all of our partner-sponsors that are with the teams are American,' he said, offering a powerful insight into how lucrative and vital the U.S. audience has become. The growing popularity of F1 in America + Miami Grand Prix Preview! | Nailing the Apex by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Explore Market Opportunities Backed by AI Technology News Portal Try Now Undo This transformation hasn't just touched the business side. It's reshaping operations, strategy, and even team infrastructure. For Williams, whose parent company Dorilton Capital is based in the United States, the connection runs deep. 'We have a U.S. office. America is a core part of what we are doing as a sport,' Vowles emphasized. The long-term outlook? Even more integration between the U.S. market and the global racing scene. 'What I'm really proud of is how that's migrated across the last 10 years and, more importantly, probably the direction of travel over the next 10 years as well,' he added. Yet, despite the rapid growth and investment in the American market, one thing is noticeably missing—a competitive American driver on the F1 grid. The conversation often circles around the elusive 'American F1 star,' but Vowles made it clear that developing such talent is a marathon, not a sprint. 'I mean, this would probably shock a few people, but I've signed a driver that I think has huge potential. But he's 10, 11 now. And he wins everything that he can win in karting,' Vowles revealed. His comments reflect a deeper reality: success in Formula 1 is a decade-long commitment that starts in early childhood. 'Our Academy, pretty much, you are looking to sign up the individuals, they start a professional career from age eight.' One such talent is Lucas Palacio, a young American driver being groomed for F1 greatness. His family has already moved to Europe to ensure he gets the right training environment. 'He will have a fantastic career, but he's seven years away from getting into the sport,' Vowles said, highlighting the long developmental road ahead. But that hasn't deterred Williams. 'We are investing in American talent at that age and properly investing... and we're looking for more. That's the right way to bring star talent through into the sport.' When asked about current American representation, Vowles was frank about Logan Sargeant's struggles. 'Logan was, as you saw, he was able at times to be competitive, but on the most part wasn't really working on the world stage at the level we needed him to be.' Ultimately, the road to America's next F1 icon won't be paved by nationality alone. 'What you need is, to your point, not just the passport, but you need to be an absolute star talent, able to win that goes with it.' As the U.S. cements itself as a key player in F1's commercial and cultural landscape, the pursuit of American driving excellence continues—with the next breakthrough perhaps already sitting in a go-kart. Also Read: Is Red Bull hiding something? McLaren's FIA complaints fuel growing paddock suspicions
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
‘We have a car that is better than we've ever had before' – James Vowles, Williams Team Principal
The name Williams has been synonymous with Formula One for half a century. Founded by Sir Frank Williams in the late '70s, the Grove-based outfit dominated the sport for two decades, winning seven Drivers' and nine Constructors' titles before the turn of the millennium. The British team has found the going tough over the last few years, finishing dead last in the standings four times between 2018 and 2022, collecting just 39 points over the duration. Under the ownership of US-based Dorilton Capital, and with former Mercedes Motorsport Strategy Director James Vowles at the helm since 2023, Williams has made rapid strides. The constructor eclipsed its 2024 points tally within four races of the 2025 season and looks set to challenge for fifth in the standings for the first time since 2017. Taking over from the Williams family, who nurtured the team for 43 years, is no easy task, but Vowles has managed to instil confidence into the struggling outfit in his role as Team Principal. In an exclusive chat with Sportstar on the sidelines of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Vowles spoke at length about the team's progress, his data-driven approach, preparing the garage for the soon-to-arrive regulations, the future of the sport, and more. Five races into 2025, Williams has gotten off to a fast start compared to the last four seasons. How's the mood in the garage? Highly positive. I think we always have to remember where we've come from. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be racing with a car that can score points every weekend — and it is — with two world-class drivers. You'd be surprised how much that carries you through the tireless and sleepless nights. You've spoken about the continuous improvement you looked to bring when you took on this role in 2023. Two years on, do you think you're on the right track? Yeah, I think the direction of travel is a good one. This car isn't what we've put our focus on. We've just been fixing some foundational issues, putting in system software, infrastructure, culture, technology, people — and it's nice to see that the car is moving up and corresponds to that. We have a car that is better than we've ever had before. I think the real test is breaking away from the midfield, closer to the front. Track stars: Vowles with the two Williams drivers — Carlos Sainz (left) and Alex Albon (right). | Photo Credit: Getty Images You touched upon your two drivers, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Both of them are very experienced in the top tier of racing. What is it like working with them? It's a breath of fresh air. First of all, there's no politics. Neither one wants anything more than for the team to be successful, which means that every meeting we have is about the greater good. How do we make it better next year? What's our direction of travel? What can I do to help? It's great to see that dedication they're putting into the team. Over the last decade or so, Williams has given so many drivers their first shot at F1. Was it a genuine choice to go with two experienced drivers? It was very much a case of me wanting experienced drivers by my side. I love investing in young drivers — they absolutely have a future with Williams. But we also have to acknowledge that last year, our attrition was high, and it meant we couldn't move forward in the field. For a few years, we've got to take stock and start developing this team into championship material. Does the tag of being F1's fourth most successful team weigh heavily on you? Is there added pressure? I don't think anything will put more pressure on me than I put on myself. That's probably the right way to describe it. The reason I'm here is because of our history. It's an incredible history. I want this team to be successful with all my heart. I'll make it my career goal to do so. That's more pressure than our legacy. Right from your time with Mercedes, you've been very data-driven. Does it help that both your drivers are of the same ilk? There's a reason why I've surrounded myself with individuals who are built the same way I am. That goes for our drivers, our senior management and our leaders. Data has to be at the heart of what you're doing. Because if you have someone going in a different direction, you can deviate from what is good. This is a slightly different year for development, considering the new regulations coming in next season. Will teams focus on circuit-specific development? You're going to find an interesting debate taking place up and down the pit lane. And that debate probably is between now and June. Do we do more, do we do less? There'll be some teams like Ferrari who came out and said, 'No! We have to fix this.' Red Bull also said that not long ago. But for teams like ourselves, our future isn't racing for 8th, 9th or 7th. Our future is racing for championships. You'll see we're making sacrifices for the next few years to bring ourselves to where we need to be. Cut to the chase: Sainz and Albon battle it out at the Saudi Arabian GP. | Photo Credit: Getty Images When the cost cap rule was brought in, you explained how Williams was behind the leaders in capital expenditure, leaving you short on machinery and software. Two years on, are you better placed? Yes, I was able to get us USD 20 million more, but by the time we finished the meeting, I think it was all spent. The rules are changing in 2026. You can spend whatever you want on capital expenditure, but you have to pay for the depreciation in your annual operating cap. The 20 million allowed us to do the short-term bits that were needed, and the remainder will be done in conjunction with those rules. An interesting topic came up in the press conferences in Saudi Arabia, about the V8 and V10 engines being brought back. What is your take on it? Is that the direction F1 should take? Let's race with the rules that we've spent three years and hundreds of millions of dollars developing. After we've been racing for some time, let's take an honest step back. Are we doing the right thing for the sport, for the world? I love the sound of the old V10s and V8s, but we also have to be honest with ourselves. I think what we are asking for is, let's make sure we have a tone to the engine — a sound that has emotion to it. Both drivers have mentioned a fundamental issue affecting performance, which is a characteristic of the Williams car in itself. How difficult is it to handle an issue related to the structure? The important thing is an open, honest discussion about what the real problems are, to make sure that we are not taking them into future cars. It's a problem that has been here for many years. Though we've made improvements between 2023–24 and 2024–25, it's nowhere near the level of the top three teams. We need a bigger change to improve it considerably — and that's what Carlos and Alex are bringing to the party. F1 requires fast cars to win championships. But how important is the team behind it? How much does the backroom staff influence a team? Everything is about people and culture. People create your systems, processes and communications. The fast car is just an output from a thousand people working well together. I am not the reason why this team will be successful. My job is just to bring the right people together. If you don't have a set of people pointing the right way, the team will not win a world championship. Every single person matters. Related Topics Williams / Formula One
