"You have to keep pushing yourself until it hurts everyday": Former Mercedes director James Vowles on how to be the "best in the world"

Former Mercedes technical director James Vowles recently spoke about how to be "the best in the world", while referring to F1. Vowles is no stranger to success as he has helped the Silver Arrows successfully win multiple world championships.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, he initially talked about the benchmark he set after winning several titles with Mercedes. He claimed that even though his achievements could be compared to other high-performing individuals in the sport, there was still another level that he could reach.

"The benchmark is when others look at me and go, 'Yeah you're multiple world champions and you've pulled a team to the front.' You can be compared to but still not the best in the world of what you do. There's always another level."

Former Mercedes senior also emphasized the importance of humility after becoming the best in the world. He claims that humility urges an individual to push forward, so much so that it hurts every day.

"I think you were talking about high performance. The humility is what keeps you back and making sure you know that you have to keep pushing yourself until it hurts every day because that's what you need to do to be the best in the world."

When Mercedes first entered the sport in 2010, the team was quite mediocre and had to push itself to become the empire that it is today. James Vowles was a key player in shaping the team since he was with them even before the German automotive company joined the sport. In 2022, Vowles left the Silver Arrows to join Williams as a team principal.

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Mercedes star showers praise on James Vowles

Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to James Vowles. The two have enjoyed success together at Mercedes, winning multiple F1 World Championships. Back in September 2023, the British driver spoke to the media, including Sportskeeda, saying:

"Well, James is exceptional and we had an amazing journey together, we achieve so much together. And we still have a very good friendship."

Lewis Hamilton managed to win loads of races with the help of James Vowles' exceptional strategies. Both share a strong bond of friendship, even after Vowles left for Williams.