James Vowles reveals ex-boss Toto Wolff’s blunt advice when he left Mercedes for Williams

James Vowles was an integral part of Mercedes back in their domination days. However, Vowles served as the righthand man of Team Principal Toto Wolff at the Silver Arrows. However, the 44-year-old took the opportunity to become the team principal at Williams in 2023. The former chief strategist at Brackely has now recalled Wolff’s advice to him during the transition.

James Vowles showcased his skills and mentality while serving Mercedes. Hence, Wolff did not have a long list of advice for the Briton. The Austrian advised the 44-year-old to ‘not be sh*t’ in his new role at Williams. This showcased not only the bond between the two but also the level of respect that Wolff held for Vowles due to his successful stint with Brackley.

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

Vowles told High Performance podcast (H&T: f1i.com).

Apart from Toto Wolff, the Briton had a deep respect for other people in the sport as well. Vowles put forth Fred Vasseur alongside Otmar Szafnauer and others as his guiding voice in the sport at times. However, the Williams principal did not turn to these guys for advice, but just guidance in general.

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.

Toto Wolff helped James Vowles gain maximum experience at Mercedes

Vowles and Wolff shared a good chunk of time at Mercedes. Hence, it was obvious that both learned a lot of things from one another. The Williams team boss highlighted that Toto Wolff was kind enough to provide him with time and help him gain experience as much as the Austrian had to offer.

However, Vowles did not hesitate to accept the fact that his loyalty to the team did not enable him to be the team principal succeeding Wolff. But the knowledge and experience that the Briton gained from Brackley was very important for his role at Williams.

After quitting Mercedes, the 44-year-old is trying his best to mark achievements alongside his team. Although the constructor has had a couple of difficult seasons, things are looking on the bright side. As a result, the team prepares for the upcoming season and puts in their best performance for the team’s fans. Hence, time will tell about the benefits of the great learnings that Vowles acquired from Wolff.

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