Formula 1 Hot News

Video: Vowles explains need for team to upgrade its facilities (Update)

Posted by AR1 staff

Williams team principal James Vowles lobbied the FIA and fellow teams to give teams extra Capital Expenditure leeway, having reiterated that his outfit’s facilities were well below the standard of the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes.

But Vowles lost that battle.

“It’s unfortunate and it’s disappointing, frankly, that we’re in a situation where again that meeting went around in circles if nothing else,” Vowles said.

“To a certain extent, it will do [go around in circles], because everyone in that room wants to make sure that they’re not losing out relative to everyone else.”

James Vowles (GBR) Team Principle Williams Racing.Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 2, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Saturday 18th March 2023. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
James Vowles (GBR) Team Principle Williams Racing.Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 2, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Saturday 18th March 2023. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“On every vote it wasn’t a surprise on how they voted. When we spoke about who needs to catch up, on one side of the table was the teams at the back-end of the grid and on the other side teams at the front-end of the grid.

“It’ll be no surprise that everyone at the back of the grid near enough all unanimously had their hands up for most of these votes and the ones at the front and the grid did not.”

“Some teams jumped on that bandwagon to say, but actually, we would like to have a little bit more Capex,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff explained.

“And that number went up from $50 million to $60 million, $70 million, $90 million, and suddenly, it was like free rein, and why don’t we change the Capex levels? But there is no reason to do that. I think there is one team we need to treat differently than all the others.

“We came up with a list. Some of the big teams said we don’t want a list, and if Williams get stuff, we want to have stuff. And that was simply shut down.

“We need stability of regulations, on financial relations. And you need to be able to have a business plan that is valid and not a free rein every two years where we change the goalposts on Capex.

“So that’s why this was the end of the Capex discussion, but maybe we will find a solution for Williams.”

August 9, 2023 

In this video, Williams team principal James Vowles explains his role with the Williams F1 team moving forward. One thing he points out is the need to Williams to upgrade its facilities.