Vowles eyes racing return after GT3 test with McLaren

Williams team principal James Vowles may be busy leading one of Formula 1’s most prominent squads, but the Briton is eager to get back behind the wheel himself – and he’s already taken significant steps toward a racing return.

Vowles recently completed a two-day test in a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo at Spain’s Circuito de Navarra between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, before logging more laps last week at Jerez.

The sessions marked a reunion with the Garage 59 team, for whom he raced multiple times between 2021 and 2023. Now, Vowles says he wants to return to competitive GT3 racing.

“The intention is to get back into racing”

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Singapore Grand Prix, Vowles explained his decision to test the McLaren and his affection for the car and team.

“I have done work with Merc beforehand but I have no affiliation in that world,” Vowles said.

“I actually really like McLarens to drive. The team is one I’ve been driving for for probably the last three or four years, so go where you are comfortable.”

While Formula 1 star Max Verstappen recently made headlines by winning a GT3 endurance race at the Nordschleife, Vowles admitted he’s not planning a similar challenge – though he was full of praise for the Red Bull driver’s achievement.

“I don’t think the Nordschleife, although well done to him [Verstappen],” Vowles said. “It just shows how impressive it is to just turn up there and basically dominate it – just outstanding.

“The intention is to get back into racing on my side. What I want to do is another few days in the car. I haven’t really driven the car competitively with pros for a couple of years.”

Teaming Up with Sainz and Albon?

With Vowles leading Williams through an impressive resurgence – capped by Carlos Sainz’s third-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – questions have already arisen about whether he could one day share a GT3 car with his own F1 drivers.

“They are allowed and it is something that could be great,” Vowles said. “We just need to remember what Max does is exceptional. We need to remember we are doing 24 weekends of racing, and more of that testing.

“Having anymore demand on them would be inappropriate and wrong for me to ask. But if they ever want to do it, we’ll find a way of making it work.”

Read also:

• Vowles: Shorter F1 races aren’t the fix for younger fans

For now, Vowles’ focus remains on Williams’ upward trajectory in Formula 1 – but his passion for racing clearly burns as strong as ever. And as his recent GT3 outings suggest, the competitive fire that once made him a formidable strategist hasn’t dimmed one bit.

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