©Williams
Williams Racing has announced that Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles has been appointed as the British outfit's new team principal.
Vowles' transfer from Brackely to Grove is a major coup for Williams which was without a team boss following the departure at the end of last season of Jost Capito.
Vowles' distinguished career in F1 includes nine world titles – the first of which was achieved with Brawn GP and Jenson Button in 2009 while the other eight championships were enjoyed with the mighty Mercedes squad.
The 43-year-old British engineer, a familiar figure on the Mercedes pitwall along with his colleagues Ron Meadows, Simon Cole and Andrew Shovlin, has played a key role over the years in the German outfit's success, overseeing dozens of the teams race wins as its chief strategist.
"I cannot wait to start with Williams Racing," said Vowles. "It's an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage.
"The team is an icon of our sport, one I greatly respect, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge.
"Mercedes have been hugely supportive on my journey, and we part on excellent terms after over 20 years of working in Brackley.
"I am grateful for everything Toto [Wolff] and the team have provided, and it has been such a special experience to journey together through failure and success.
"Williams Racing have placed their faith and trust in me, and I will do the same in return. Williams has tremendous potential, and our journey together starts in a matter of weeks."
Dorilton chairman Matthew Savage hailed Vowles arrival as a strengthening of the Williams team's leadership as it moves into the future.
"We are delighted to welcome James to Williams Racing," said Savage.
"He is one of the most highly respected talents in Formula 1 and will bring performance. He has been a key part of some of the most impressive feats in the sport over the past 15 years.
"As we continue our relentless pursuit for results, we believe that the appointment of James reinforces our dedication to ensuring we have energetic, experienced, and strong leadership as we move into the next phase of transforming Williams Racing."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff paid tribute to Vowles for the Briton's dedication and hard work, and for "playing an integral part in our success in recent years".
"James has been a highly valued member of our team in his role as Motorsport Strategy Director, playing an integral part in our success in recent years," commented Wolff, a former shareholder and director of Williams.
"Having worked with him since I first joined the team in 2013, I know how diligent, capable and talented he is and have taken great satisfaction from watching James develop and grow over the past decade.
"Since stepping back from the pit wall mid-season last year, he has continued to build the capability of our strategy team at Brackley, and we have a fantastic group of talented strategists who will continue their superb work in the years to come.
"While we are naturally sad to be saying goodbye to such a capable member of the team, I have no doubts whatsoever that he has all the necessary skills to become a fantastic Team Principal in Formula One.
"We wish him every success and are delighted that he will take this next step in his career with Williams, a strong technical partner of ours and one that has a place close to my own heart.”
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