James Vowles: F1 Friendships, Hamilton Bonds and Racing Dreams

James Vowles reveals the true friendships he kept in F1, his special bond with Hamilton, and his ultimate dream dinner guests.

Former Mercedes F1 strategist and now Williams team principal James Vowles has stayed close to some familiar faces from his previous team.

While Formula 1 is one of the most competitive environments in the world, friendships can still thrive across rival teams. But how real are those bonds when careers and championships are on the line? Speaking to FOM recently, Vowles reflected on how those relationships have evolved.

“Good question… I still have a lot of close friends at Mercedes because I spent 20, 22 years of my life there. You build strong connections over that kind of time.”

One of those connections is with Lewis Hamilton, even though both have moved on to new challenges.

“I still consider Lewis a very good friend, even if we have not spoken for a few weeks. Honestly, I have friends all over the paddock. It is the same with drivers. I worked with some of them for most of their careers, and I truly consider them real friends. Lewis is an amazing person and I feel lucky that he has shared part of his life with me.”

When asked who he would choose to be stranded on a desert island with, Lewis Hamilton naturally came to mind. But Vowles gave a playful and diplomatic answer.

“It would probably be Alex [Albon] or Carlos [Sainz] because they are hilarious and would definitely keep me entertained. They would be completely useless for survival, let’s be clear, we would have to take care of them. But at least we would laugh every single day.”

As for a team principal he would bring along, Vowles leaned towards someone practical.

“You need someone who is not afraid to get their hands dirty, who can actually help build and fix things. I would probably pick Ayao [Komatsu]. He is very skilled and I am sure we could cobble something together.”

When asked which three drivers he would invite to dinner, excluding his own, Vowles took a thoughtful approach.

“Wow… I would invite Ayrton [Senna] because he is the reason I am in motorsport today. I would love to ask him what made him so special, how he believed in himself so deeply. He was incredible. I would also invite Mika Häkkinen. I love spending time with Mika, he is hilarious, a genuinely great guy. And finally Michael [Schumacher]. Talking to him would be effortless. Those three would make for an amazing evening.”

Interestingly, Vowles did not mention any current team principals, not even his former boss Toto Wolff.

But if all the F1 bosses were to race each other, who would win? Would it be Vowles, Wolff, Horner, or someone else?

“I would love to see that happen. You cannot ignore the fact that Toto [Wolff] used to be a professional driver. It also depends on the car. He was good in GT racing and still is. We did some testing with Lewis in Austin a few years ago. It was tight but a lot of fun between the three of us. So Toto would definitely be competitive. Christian [Horner] raced up to F3000. He was quick and very competitive, so he would also be strong. Zak [Brown], I have never raced him, but he has real potential. That would probably be your leading group. And do not forget Oliver Oakes, a former karting world champion, he would definitely be in the mix too.”

“In truth, and I am dodging the question a bit here, but it would really depend on the circuit and the car. Today’s F1 grid actually has a nice mix of people who not only manage teams but who also have serious skills behind the wheel.”

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James Vowles: F1 Friendships, Hamilton Bonds and Racing Dreams James Vowles: F1 Friendships, Hamilton Bonds and Racing Dreams

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