Three Years On: James Vowles at Williams

James Vowles was announced as Atlassian Williams F1 Team Principal on this day in 2023

Published

13 JAN 2026

Est. reading time

4 min

On this day three years ago, January 13th 2023, we announced to the world that James Vowles would become the new Team Principal at Atlassian Williams F1 Team.

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun, so why not join us as we look back over the past few years and celebrate some standout moments.

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January 13th 2023

All journeys must start somewhere, and it was on this date when the world found out that James Vowles would be heading to Grove to take on a fresh challenge, starting as our Team Principal the following month. His career to this point had seen him play a major role in securing nine F1 Constructors’ Championships and over 120 race victories.

February 20th 2023

Day one for James finally arrived the following month, and what followed was an intense few weeks spent getting to meet as many of the Grove workforce as possible. “I struggle to put into words just how much it means to me, how excited I am and all the emotions that are bubbling up inside,” is how JV reflected on his first day in his new role.

March 5th 2023

JV on the grid ahead of his first race as Team Principal

James’ first race as TP came in Bahrain and it brought with it his first point in the job, with Alex Albon bringing his FW45 home in P10 – at that time, it was our best start to a season in six years.

June 18th 2023

Hard work at Grove was rewarded at the 2023 Canadian GP as Alex delivered a memorable defensive drive to secure P7 in Montreal. “It’s hard to put into words how difficult it is to hold off fast-charging cars behind you,” James explained, adding: “It was the culmination of huge and significant teamwork from hundreds of people at Grove to deliver the update that we have here.”

October 22nd 2023

A double helping of points in Austin, 2023

A dramatic twist after the United States Grand Prix saw post-race penalties shuffle the order, elevating both Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant into the top 10. For Logan, it marked his first points in Formula 1, and it was the first double points finish of James’ tenure.

May 15th 2024

Continuity was the theme as Alex Albon committed his future to the team with a multi-year contract extension. Since James’ arrival, Alex had become a central pillar of the project on and off the track. Securing his long-term services was a significant statement of intent as the team looked to build momentum into a new era.

July 7th 2024

Every member of the team race with us at the 2024 British GP

Silverstone provided a proud moment. Alex delivered points at the team’s home Grand Prix while running a special FW46 livery featuring the names of every member of the Williams team, reflecting the unity James has worked hard to instil since day one.

July 29th 2024

Williams’ future ambitions took another major step forward with the announcement that Carlos Sainz would join the team on a multi-year deal from the 2025 season onwards. The signing of a proven Grand Prix winner underlined the growing confidence in the long-term project at Grove.

September 15th 2024

Celebrations in Baku

With Alex finishing P7 and Franco Colapinto close behind in P8, the double points haul at the Azerbaijan GP represented our best finish of the modern ground effect era so far. For Franco it marked his first points in Formula 1 – another Williams F1 Team Driver Academy graduate making their mark on the sport’s biggest stage.

March 16th 2025

The new season began in style in Melbourne, where Alex’s superb P5 in tricky, changeable conditions set the tone for the year ahead. Despite an early retirement, Carlos remained heavily involved from the pit wall, offering his support as the team navigated a demanding race.

June 19th 2025

Midway through the season, James committed his long-term future to Williams, reinforcing his belief in the project and its direction. “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 shared.

July 12th 2025

Away from the Grand Prix paddock, James took to the wheel of one of the most iconic cars in Williams history, driving the FW14B up the famous hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

September 21st 2025

Celebrations in Baku (again!)

After a stunning qualifying performance that placed him P2 on the grid, Carlos converted opportunity into silverware by securing P3 in the Grand Prix – the first podium of James Vowles’ era as Team Principal. The result remains a defining milestone in the rebuild.

October 18th 2025

The momentum continued in Austin as Carlos claimed a Sprint race podium, while Alex’s P6 ensured Williams recorded its first ever double points finish in the format. It was another marker of progress across all competitive sessions.

November 30th 2025

The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice. A sensational drive from Carlos in Qatar locked in another Grand Prix podium, P3 again. This also secured P5 in the Constructors’ Championship, confirming our strongest campaign since 2016.

A new look for the team in Formula 1’s all-new regulations era will be unveiled on Tuesday 3 February

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