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Former F1 world champion Jenson Button mentioned that he was really happy that James Vowles chose to become the Williams F1 team principal.
Vowles is a very highly respected figure in the F1 paddock and was previously influential in guiding Mercedes to eight consecutive constructor's championships, serving as the Head of Strategy. He replaced Jost Capito as the Team Principal ahead of the start of the season.
Speaking to Williams' official website, Button said of Vowles:
"I’ve known James for many years. When I won the Championship back in 2009, which was a long time ago, he was our Strategist. I actually started working with James in 2003, at BAR Honda which turned into Honda, then Brawn, and now Mercedes. So, he was there for a very long time gaining a lot of experience, not just in strategy but engineering too, also working underneath Toto Wolff."
"I’m really happy James joined Williams Racing. He’s a great guy, he’s a hard worker and he has self-confidence, which is something you really need in his role in a team. He’s been around and seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. He knows how to win races and to be part of such a great team like Mercedes. He understands the structure that we need here at Williams Racing so he’s a great addition."
"You don’t see any other Team Principals doing that" – Jenson Button on Williams' team boss
The former McLaren F1 driver explained what makes Vowles stand out from other Team Principals on the grid.
He said:
"I also love his post-race chats, where he talks about how the weekend went. You don’t see any other Team Principals doing that. I think it’s a really useful thing for the whole team to hear his input but also for the fans of the sport and the fans of Williams Racing to really understand what happened. Especially as sometimes it’s difficult for the commentators to explain exactly what happened to that one team over a race weekend."
It will be fascinating to see if Vowles can take the iconic British team back to its glory days. Although they have only scored a solitary point this season, they have been very competitive as they have fought for Q3 slots and points with their rivals in the midfield in 2023. Hopefully, we will see them finish higher in the standing than the last season.
