Toto Wolff explains how James Vowles exit will benefit Mercedes and Williams

03 February 2023 , 13:22

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Toto Wolff is optimistic about Mercedes' future without strategy chief James Vowles (Image: Getty Images)

Toto Wolff believes the impending departure of James Vowles from the team will have a positive effect on both Mercedes and Williams going forward.

Vowles has spent several years as a key cog in the Mercedes operation, leading the strategy department and, in later times, assisting Wolff with the management of the team. But, from February 20th, his new role will be to lead the Williams team which finished rock bottom in last year's championship.

Wolff has already said he will be gutted to see such a key member of his staff leave. But he is also very happy for Vowles and has a glass-half-full mentality about how it will affect both teams going forward.

The Austrian said: "Beyond the strategy, James has been looking after driver contracts, reserve driver contracts and many, many other political topics together with me and in the past year, we decided that he would hand over the reins to a new team of strategists.

"Since July, James has been moving off the pit wall and not actively interfering anymore in the decision-making on race weekends. Being with me and basically overlooking the situation like I have done for many years now, next step is something that James deserves."

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Explaining why Vowles needed to leave to take that next step, Wolff explained: "Within our organisation, for him to move up, I would need to move aside and I feel there is something left in me that I can add or contribute.

James Vowles will start as Williams team principal from February 20

"Going to Williams, a team that is close to my personal heart and will always cherish is obviously great and having an aspiring partner at Williams, someone that is very logical and rational whilst very experienced in Formula 1 is an overall benefit for both Williams and Mercedes."

Vowles has never led an F1 team before, but Wolff believes the 43-year-old has the skillset required to do the top job well. He said: "You need to have the commercial understanding, the political perspectives and not be fooled by what you've been told by someone in the technical or engineering area.

"James ticks many of those boxes... I think that he absolutely understands commercial strategy so, even though James’ background is in engineering, I would put him more in my camp in terms of skills than, let's say, a pure engineer.

"But having said that, it's about the personality – you can have an engineering background and still be the right personality for team principal, or you can have a business or finance background and be able to contribute well to an organisation."

Daniel Moxon