Why new Williams F1 boss shouldn't avoid 'Mercedes B-team' comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
"I wouldn't consider it a mini-Mercedes," says James Vowles of his vision for Williams after being made team principal last week. But it'd be advisable to treat his words with an element of caution. For one, the ex-Mercedes Formula 1 chief strategist uttered them in a media call organised by Mercedes, during which he featured alongside Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, and the pair spent plenty of time talking about their life together at, er, Mercedes…
It's easy to be flippant. The Three-Pointed Star made a conscious effort to control the narrative to ensure no one was reporting any falsehoods. This is an amicable parting of ways between Vowles and the grand prix superteam that's won eight constructors' crowns. After all, he has been commuting to Brackley since 2001 when the letterhead read 'BAR Honda'.
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