Williams Racing’s new F1 team principal James Bowles has said he will not turn Williams into a ‘mini Mercedes’ when he leaves Mercedes F1 next month.
Williams F1 announced on Friday (13 January) that James Bowles will step down from his role as strategic director at Mercedes to become the new F1 team principal, following the resignation of Jost Kapito in December.
James Bowles joins the Williams F1 team looking to bounce back from finishing last in the Constructors’ Championship following spending most of the 2022 season in its slowest car.
James Bowles is a key member of Mercedes F1’s senior management team led by Toto Wolff and has played a key role in Mercedes’ success throughout the V6 hybrid era.
Williams is a customer team of Mercedes F1 and is supplied with engines and gearboxes. Also his junior at Mercedes, George Russell, made his F1 debut with Williams in 2019 and helped develop him for three years before being promoted to Mercedes.
But James Bowles said his move did not mark an extension of the relationship between the two teams, even if it meant focusing on similar areas like team culture.
“I don’t think of it as a mini Mercedes,” said Bowles.
“Williams has shaped its own history, its own legacy and is an incredibly independent team in its own right.”
“When you ask the senior leadership team what the most important element of the team is, at Mercedes they always say two things: people and culture.”
“I’m going to make sure before I step out there. I don’t know where we are at the moment, but making sure everyone understands that it’s important to work together is at the top of my priority list. It’s a priority.”
“Empowerment is important. It’s important to treat your colleagues with the respect and growth you want them to have, so that you can work together towards the end goal.”
James Bowles added that Williams is a “fully independent organization” and that his success “depends on doing a good job there, which has to be independent of Mercedes.”
“It doesn’t mean that Mercedes and ourselves don’t work together in some way, we did work together before I was there,” said Bowles.
“But now we have to do what is best for Williams.”
Last year, 1978 Formula 1 world champion Mario Andretti criticized Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff’s political influence on F1 following the Andretti family’s attempt to set up a new team was met with skepticism. expressed concern regarding influence.
But Toto Wolff said the team principal’s role is to “do everything in our power to protect our position and the team and to prosper” and he does not intend to pressure James Bowles to follow Mercedes. emphasized.
“If I get involved with James and ask him to be a Mini Mercedes, he will say to me ‘go away’,” said Wolff.
“There was always speculation that Williams was subordinate because of the Mercedes engine, but that is clearly not true.”
“We have never interfered in any way with the driver’s situation. We have always understood the mandate of team management in a unique way.”
“That’s why James is going to do good things for the team, and it’s good for James to take it forward.”
“He will be judged on the team’s success and if Mercedes can help him, he will talk regarding it. If he feels he needs to take another position, he will stand by it. do”
