Vowles recalls candid Wolff 'advice' ahead of move to Williams

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Williams boss James Vowles revealed the colorful piece of advice given to him a year ago by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff following his decision to join the Grove-based squad.

Vowles, a lifelong Mercedes stalwart, had been instrumental in the team's remarkable eight-year reign as Formula 1 champions, beginning in 2014.

However, when the opportunity arose at the end of 2022 to lead the troubled Williams team, Vowles made the bold decision to step out of his comfort zone and embrace a new challenge.

This decision was met with both excitement and trepidation, but Vowles was determined to succeed in his new role.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast with host Jake Humphrey, Vowles remembers Wolff’s directive rather than advice.

“I think he said ‘Don’t be s**t’ was his advice! Which I’m trying to do!” he commented.

“Other than that, he knows that I’ve been forming for this for quite a while, so there was little he could provide for me above it.

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“Even today, I would say Fred [Vasseur, Ferrari team boss] and Otmar [Szafnauer – former Alpine team principal] before he left and a few others were guiding voices.

“I can happily call them, even though they are adversaries, not ask for advice but they can give me guidance.”

Vowles' journey from technical expert to strategic leader at Mercedes, guided by the wisdom of Toto Wolff, positioned him a natural successor to the Austrian, and with the latter’s benediction.

“Toto was kind enough with his time to give me as much experience as he could, he knew where he was forming me towards,” he recounted.

“It doesn’t mean that I had a job within Mercedes to be Team Principal there, but he provided me his time and knowledge and experience and more responsibilities.

“That started happening, so simulator drivers, then race drivers, start to come beneath me and I started working with our Formula E outfit, GT3 team, elements of the cost cap and other bits. I just kept pulling it in.

“Of course you can’t do it all at once, so what I did was built a team that did all the strategy bits for me so I could focus on the growth.

“Once you’ve based yourself out of engineering and focused on how the company runs, you have a better idea of how to step into this role.”

Under Vowles' guidance, Williams experienced a marked improvement in 2023, the team securing a respectable seventh place finish in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since 2017.

The achievement further solidified Vowles' reputation as a rising star in Formula 1, leading to speculation that he could one day succeed Wolff as the team principal of Mercedes.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.