In an interview with the Mirror, James Vowles discussed the ongoing growth process at Williams and the team’s desire to become competitive again.
James Vowles‘ arrival from Mercedes in 2023 marked a turning point for the Grove-based team, which is aiming to climb up the standings through a long-term development process. While the results have not been fully satisfying yet, the strategy is clear: work for the long-term to achieve the set goals.
The New Williams Path
Speaking about Williams’ future, Vowles couldn’t overlook how the high number of accidents last year (a total of 17) hindered the progress made up to that point: “It’s a number I have never seen remotely in my entire career. It cost us, and it cost us dearly. Every time we made a step forward, we were actually looking back, trying to fix things It’s the worst thing that can happen“.
Despite the challenges, Williams didn’t waste time and continued to strengthen, with 250 new hires and the signing of Carlos Sainz: “From the start, what I wanted to do was bring the best to this team. This is not the old Williams; it’s not about ‘taking paying drivers.’ It’s about ‘Who’s the best?’ and starting to talk to them to bring them here “.
Focusing on the drivers, Vowles highlighted how Albon and Sainz are very similar to each other and how together they form the ideal pairing to help Williams climb back up: “The reason I call them the best pairing is because there are no political games between them. Alex and Carlos just want to go fast and grow the team. For where Williams is right now, this is the right lineup “.
Despite the progress made, Vowles admits that Williams is still far from its ambitions: “I always want more. There are some areas that aren’t advancing as I’d like, but there are others moving faster than expected. There are good things coming next year, and great things for 2026, which means we’re on the right track. But we must remember that there are nine other teams trying to do the same “.
Photo: Williams Racing
