Vowles sees McLaren’s turnaround as a model for rejuvenating Williams, despite significant challenges and differences.
James Vowles, the team principal at Williams F1, has pointed to McLaren as a source of inspiration for a team that can evolve into a contender for victories and ultimately the world championship by advancing step by step, with the right processes in place.
“Our journey is different from McLaren’s in many ways, but there are similarities.”
“McLaren took between five and eight years to turn around, and I’ve said this here many times before. What we face is arguably a more significant challenge than McLaren’s in many respects, with outdated resources and processes that were rudimentary when I arrived.”
“Yet with McLaren, you have a complete model of what a team did to return to the path of victory.”
“If someone had told you in Bahrain in 2023 that McLaren would achieve a one-two finish the next year, and by the way, become the team to beat, you would have laughed at me. It’s logical, and yet here they are. So, it’s an upward aspiration, and that’s how I approach things at Williams.”
McLaren has reached where it is today by trusting the right people, recruiting effectively, investing in infrastructure, and building a competent management team.
Vowles has set Williams on this trajectory, and before finalising the contract with Sainz, he rightly hoped that the implementation of these elements would have the desired effect to draw the triple Grand Prix winner to his team.
“I have confidence in what we are doing behind the scenes. I trust the investments we are making, I trust the path we are taking, and I wouldn’t have changed anything about this path so far.”
“So, fundamentally, what are we investing in? People. I’ve said it many times, it’s also a matter of prioritisation to some extent. People, culture are the two major elements. Process, infrastructure, technology, and commercial aspects at the same time.”
“Commercial too, because that really drives all of this. But we have investors and investments that are tailored to bring us to a reasonable position.”
“So, what have we done with people? First off, Alex [Albon] has re-signed. Alex already knows quite a bit about what awaits him for the 2026 and 2027 seasons and this has given him the confidence that this is the place for him. He had many offers on the table. And now, with Carlos, we have another driver who also wants to join this journey.”
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Williams’ Progress Mirrors McLaren, Says Vowles Williams’ Progress Mirrors McLaren, Says Vowles
