Williams appointed Mercedes strategy director James Vowles as their new Formula One team boss on Friday following the departure last month of Jost Capito.
Vowles, 43, will join the team on February 20 ahead of testing in Bahrain from February 23 to 25 and the season opening race at Sakhir on March 5, the Mercedes-powered former champions said .
Vowles, who has led motorsport strategy at Mercedes for the past four years and has played a part in winning nine constructors' championships and 120 races, ruled out Williams becoming a"B" team or"mini-Mercedes". "I am grateful for everything [Mercedes boss] Toto [Wolff] and the team have provided, and it has been such a special experience to journey together through failure and success," he said.
Wolff said Vowles' departure would not leave a gap because the team had already moved him away from hands-on strategy to focus on other areas."They have flown the airplane alone in the last six months, and before that already very much just under James's supervision.Matthew Savage, chair of Williams' US-based private investment owners Dorilton, said Vowles would bring performance to a team who finished last overall in 2022 and have not won a race since 2012.