Latest news with #Vowles
Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Dua Lipa and F1 Legends Among Celebs at Thrilling Festival of Speed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Celebrities - both from the world of F1 and not - graced one of the biggest motoring festivals this weekend: the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex. Singer and actress Dua Lipa and American actor turned racer Patrick Dempsey were spotted at the event, while popular F1 names included Williams team principal James Vowles, McLaren CEO Zak Brown, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, and the Haas F1 team. Lipa has collaborated with Porsche to design the Dua Lipa Rennstall 911 GT3 RS, which will be auctioned by RM Sotheby's. The car was unveiled at this year's Monaco Grand Prix, and the money raised will be handed to the Sunny Hill Foundation. The predominantly green design with contrasting swirls of gold, red, and black will surely make its mark in the minds of onlookers. The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter was asked at Goodwood about her role in the car's exterior design. She said: "I feel very lucky to get to work with the Porsche team and to create something that feels really unique and fun, and to bring it down here to Goodwood, and the sun's shining for us, so it's a good day all round." A general view during the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood on July 12, 2025 in Chichester, England. A general view during the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood on July 12, 2025 in Chichester, asked if she expected to set a record with her Porsche at Goodwood, she said: "We'll see. We'll see. I'll leave that up to Karen. I'm here as a trusty sidekick." She added: "I love speed. Adrenaline all the way." American actor turned racing driver Patrick Dempsey was present at Goodwood as brand ambassador of TAG Heuer, the Official Timing Partner of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Dempsey ensured he put in some well-timed laps. Emerson Fittipaldi was also present at the event with other popular faces from the F1 paddock who took the wheel of epic racing cars, such as Brown, Vowles, and Aston Martin managing partner Adrian Newey. Fittipaldi was also joined by fellow F1 champions, Damon Hill, Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve, Nigel Mansell, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Mika Hakkinen. Newey 🤝 Ecclestone 🤝 Brown 🤝 Fittipaldi Only at Goodwood 😅 — Autosport (@autosport) July 12, 2025 Vowles completed the run in the Williams FW14B F1 car that helped Mansell secure his championship title in 1992. Speaking about his Goodwood run in the iconic car, the Williams team boss said: "It's been a childhood dream of mine to do Goodwood in a 14B, I mean, that's not true, first of all just to see the 14B and touch it was a childhood dream but to go beyond there and have the ability to drive it in Goodwood in front of hundreds of thousands of people was a dream come true." During his run, Vowles was also chatting on the radio to Mansell, who was driving the FW11. "A dream come true" 💙 JV rounds up his day in the FW14B 🙌 — Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) July 12, 2025 Related: Watch Esteban Ocon Tear Up Goodwood In Haas F1 Car
Newsweek
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Alex Albon Reveals When Williams Will Be Winning Again
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Williams driver Alex Albon predicts when the team should end up fighting for race wins — a goal that is well within reach, according to the Thai-British driver. Since the arrival of team principal James Vowles, Williams has faced higher expectations and a raised profile. Vowles has bestowed belief in the team again — pushing the team to keep building and improving with the hope of becoming a top team. The Grove-based racing team went through years at the bottom of the table. They were a backmarker team that felt lucky to score a point during a race. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams looks on prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, England. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams looks on prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, the team is a regular point-scoring team and features a strong driver lineup of Albon and Carlos Sainz. Vowels' transformation of Williams is inspiring Albon to dream big for the future. "We are a very different team to a top team at the moment," Albon told the BBC. "We're still on a journey to get there, and we talk very openly about the journey and our weaknesses as a team. "I don't think we are, in all areas, at the maximum of our potential, and that's regarding the car performance. That's everything that goes on behind the scenes, the performance, the engineering. "I don't think next year we're going to be in a position to fight for wins, and I think it will be very rare to get a chance at podiums, but that's my mindset, that's our mindset. "2027 will be an interesting year, and then realistically, I know this sounds really far away, but 2028 is kind of where I expect us to be, up at the front end. I think that's realistic." Williams hopes to make a significant step in 2026 when the new engine regulations are introduced. Mercedes power units power the British team — giving the team hope for the coming seasons. Mercedes is known for producing amazing engines when a new formula is adopted. Williams also brought in massive changes to its technical staff, that are improving the team's aerodynamic capabilities. It has been decades since the team last fought for a world championship, and with Vowles at the helm, Albon believes it is only a matter of time before the team gets back to the top step. More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Williams see fixes for problems, hope to stay fifth in F1 championship
Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 13, 2025 Williams team prinicpal James Vowles during a press conference REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger LONDON (Reuters) -Williams are confident they can fix issues behind recent retirements and expect a car upgrade coming soon to keep them on course for fifth place in the Formula One championship. Team boss James Vowles told Reuters that they understood the brake problem that prevented Carlos Sainz from starting in Austria last Sunday and a fix would be in place for this weekend's British Grand Prix. "The Carlos issue, we're very clear on it, it can be replicated on a rig, it can be understood, and for Silverstone we'll have mitigation in place," he said. An issue that has sidelined Alex Albon in the last two races was more of a challenge but Vowles expected a solution by Sunday. "The issue that Alex suffered was such an instantaneous and rapid problem that it's very hard to replicate," he said at an event in London with sponsor Gulf Oil International for a fan-created livery to be used in Brazil. "Whilst the full detail of why exactly it's happening is not complete, we do have four or five different tests that will allow us to uncover that. "By the time we're going racing on Saturday/Sunday, we're in a good place but it will have compromise on the weekend." Albon has retired from his last three outings, in Spain due to collisions and a damaged car, and then in Canada and Austria due to issues that Vowles said were also seen on Sainz's side to a lesser extent. "There's evidence of it being on the other side of the garage as well. I think sometimes it's very significant and severe and other times it's more manageable," he explained. Williams are 19 points clear of sixth-placed Racing Bulls after 11 of 24 races and 107 behind Red Bull in fourth. Vowles said the upgrade, the last big one of the season, looked substantial on paper and would come either for Belgium or Hungary later this month. "We've been focused in the wind tunnel on '26, we've been trying to be clever about how we develop this upgrade so we'll see where we get to," he said. "We need to make sure the car is reliable, we don't have accidents and we operate it correctly with strategy, pitstops engineering etc. "And all of that put together, even with the car we have today, I'm comfortable we can hold on to fifth in the championship. At the performance step, that should only make our life easier." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Williams see fixes for problems, hope to stay fifth in F1 championship
LONDON - Williams are confident they can fix issues behind recent retirements and expect a car upgrade coming soon to keep them on course for fifth place in the Formula One championship. Team boss James Vowles told Reuters that they understood the brake problem that prevented Carlos Sainz from starting in Austria last Sunday and a fix would be in place for this weekend's British Grand Prix. "The Carlos issue, we're very clear on it, it can be replicated on a rig, it can be understood, and for Silverstone we'll have mitigation in place," he said. An issue that has sidelined Alex Albon in the last two races was more of a challenge but Vowles expected a solution by Sunday. "The issue that Alex suffered was such an instantaneous and rapid problem that it's very hard to replicate," he said at an event in London with sponsor Gulf Oil International for a fan-created livery to be used in Brazil. "Whilst the full detail of why exactly it's happening is not complete, we do have four or five different tests that will allow us to uncover that. "By the time we're going racing on Saturday/Sunday, we're in a good place but it will have compromise on the weekend." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain, TVE reports Singapore Man to be charged after he allegedly damaged PAP campaign materials on GE2025 Polling Day Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Albon has retired from his last three outings, in Spain due to collisions and a damaged car, and then in Canada and Austria due to issues that Vowles said were also seen on Sainz's side to a lesser extent. "There's evidence of it being on the other side of the garage as well. I think sometimes it's very significant and severe and other times it's more manageable," he explained. Williams are 19 points clear of sixth-placed Racing Bulls after 11 of 24 races and 107 behind Red Bull in fourth. Vowles said the upgrade, the last big one of the season, looked substantial on paper and would come either for Belgium or Hungary later this month. "We've been focused in the wind tunnel on '26, we've been trying to be clever about how we develop this upgrade so we'll see where we get to," he said. "We need to make sure the car is reliable, we don't have accidents and we operate it correctly with strategy, pitstops engineering etc. "And all of that put together, even with the car we have today, I'm comfortable we can hold on to fifth in the championship. At the performance step, that should only make our life easier." REUTERS
Glasgow Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
James Vowles ‘at home' at Williams and wants to stay for rest of career
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.'
