Williams Racing have announced that James Vowles has signed a new long-term contract to remain the team principal of the UK based F1 team in the near future. The 46-year-old had initially joined the team two years ago, after a 12-year stint at the Mercedes AMG F1 Team.
Williams announced on Thursday [June 19] that James Vowles has signed a long-term contract extension. The Grove based outfit also reaffirmed that the Briton will oversee their long-term plan of getting to the front of the field in F1, via a press release.
“Team Principal James Vowles has signed a new long-term contract with Atlassian Williams Racing, guaranteeing that he will lead the team’s push for Formula 1 World Championship glory.” read the press statement.
During his two year stint at Williams up until now, Vowles has overseen a major improvement. Williams had finished last in the 2022 constructors’ standings, which got the previous team principal, Jost Capito, sacked.
Vowles replaced him starting in 2023, and has overseen major changes since then. While they finished seventh and ninth in 2023 and 2024 respectively, Williams have come out of the blocks in 2025.
This season, the British team have looked like the fifth quickest team on the grid, securing the mantle of ‘best of the rest’. Alex Albon has finished in the top ten in all but two races this far, with three P5 finishes. Carlos Sainz is also settling into the team slowly, having secured five points finishes as well.
James Vowles claims Williams now have a “platform to go for glory” in upcoming years
James Vowles has claimed that the Williams Racing team have built a strong foundation under his leadership in the last two years. The team is now ready to “go for glory” in the upcoming years, according to their team principal.
Vowles spoke about how delighted he was to sign a contract extension at Williams. He also shared his vision and expectations from the team in the coming years.
“I am delighted to sign a new contract with Atlassian Williams Racing, which has felt like home from the moment I walked through the door,” said Vowles. [via aforementioned Williams press release]
“This iconic team has already given me some incredible memories and we are all united in our ambition to build on our legacy and win World Championships again. Over the past two years we have focused on fixing the foundations, and now have a platform to go for glory in the years to come.” he added.
Williams are easily the fifth best team on the grid now, behind the big 4 of McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. But the team are reportedly more focused on the development of their 2026 car. Vowles and Albon have also both previously admitted that they are focused on building a race winning car, amid the incoming regulation changes in 2026.
