James Vowles is trying to spearhead the revival of the Williams team. Having left the all-conquering Mercedes, Vowles is overseeing a long-term project at Grove.
Williams made a huge step in the right direction last year as they finished seventh in the championship. It was their best showing since they took fifth place in 2017.
This season has proved to be more of a struggle so far. With seven races gone, they’re one of two teams yet to get off the mark, alongside Sauber.
They’ve come close on a few occasions, with Alex Albon coming home in 11th twice and also finishing 12th in China. But Vowles overhauled the team’s working methods in a ‘shocking’ winter and that has inevitably taken its toll on track.
The most visible consequence came at the Australian Grand Prix, when they were without a spare chassis. Albon severely damaged his with a crash in first practice, and Vowles took the brutal and rather embarrassing decision to let him race Logan Sargeant’s car instead.
Williams have now caught up with their competitors and built a spare, stabilising their campaign. With one eye on the present and another on the future, Vowles is going after some Formula 1 A-listers.
He’s talked up the idea of bringing legendary designer Adrian Newey back to the team when he leaves Red Bull. And he’s also showing interest in a remarkable move for Carlos Sainz, who’s lost his seat at Ferrari.
James Vowles says Alex Albon contract news sparked ‘great’ scenes
While the future of Sargeant remains decidedly uncertain, Albon is another key part of Vowles’ long-term vision. The Thai driver scored 27 of their 28 points in their resurgent 2023 season.
That’s why it’s particularly significant that Williams have managed to tie him down. Albon’s deal was due to expire at the end of 2025, but he’s now signed a multi-year extension.
Speaking live on Sky Sports F1 during FP1 at the Monaco Grand Prix, Vowles said he’d managed to persuade the 28-year-old to turn down some ‘really good’ offers and stay put. And the news delighted everybody at the Williams HQ.
“It was massive,” he said of Albon’s extension. “Alex had really good options elsewhere. We showed him what we were going to do long term, what we’re investing in, where we’re going, and he wanted to be a part of the journey.
“That’s a huge boon. When we announced it at the factory, the roof lifted off Grove and it was great to see.”
Alex Albon held talks with Mercedes over replacing Lewis Hamilton
Who were those other teams who expressed an interest in Albon? One of them may well have been Mercedes, who are looking to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
He apparently held ‘tentative’ talks with Toto Wolff before he committed to Williams. And a return to Red Bull was possible too.
In fact, Christian Horner wanted the ‘first option’ on Albon if he was looking to change teams in 2026. His comeback would likely please the Thai majority ownership at the team.
Albon saw his stock fall after a couple of incidents in the early part of the year, not least that crash in Australia. It’s unclear whether those top teams would have followed through with a formal proposal, but he’ll feel optimistic about the future at Williams regardless.
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