Williams F1 Boss James Vowles Wins in Racing Return at Gulf 12 Hours

Williams Formula 1 Team Principal James Vowles has returned to competitive racing with a victory, winning the Am class at the 2025 Gulf 12 Hours with Garage 59. The win marks a successful comeback for Vowles, who last raced in the 2022 Asian Le Mans Series, and demonstrates his continued commitment to hands-on motorsport experience outside his F1 management role.

Why it matters:

A Formula 1 team principal actively competing and winning in a major endurance event is highly unusual. It underscores Vowles's deep-rooted passion for driving and provides him with a unique, ground-level perspective on racecraft, team dynamics, and car performance—insights he can directly apply to leading the Williams F1 team.

The details:

• Vowles prepared for the event with a two-day test at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, fitting the commitment into the hectic F1 calendar.
• He raced a McLaren 720S GT3, the same model he drove with Garage 59 in 2022, alongside teammates Alexander West, Marco Pulcini, and Mark Sansom.
• The Garage 59 squad secured the Am category victory after 12 hours of racing, making it the team's second consecutive class win at the event.

Between the lines:

Vowles's racing participation is more than a hobby; it's a strategic asset. By staying sharp in the driver's seat, he maintains a direct connection to the core product—a racing car—in a way most of his peers do not. This firsthand experience with tire management, strategy calls, and in-car systems can foster greater empathy with his drivers and a more nuanced understanding of technical feedback, potentially influencing his leadership and decision-making at Williams.

What's next:

The victory will likely fuel speculation about further racing appearances for Vowles. While his primary focus remains on steering Williams back up the F1 grid, this successful outing proves he can balance the demands of both roles. It sets a compelling precedent and may inspire other F1 figures to seek similar experiential learning opportunities outside the paddock.