Williams F1 boss James Vowles attends McLaren test

james vowles, zak brown, williams, mclaren — Photo: © IMAGO

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Williams F1 boss attends McLaren test

James Vowles completed a test in a McLaren GT3 car

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 17 September 2025 13:43

F1 team principal James Vowles opted to swap Williams for McLaren, in a rare opportunity to get out on track.

Vowles joined Williams for the start of the 2023 season, leaving Mercedes in order to become team principal with the Grove-based outfit.

Since then, the team have experienced a huge upturn in fortunes, currently sat fifth in the constructors' championship with eight races left in the 2025 season.

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Star driver Alex Albon has managed to score 70 points so far this season - including four top-five grand prix finishes - while Carlos Sainz has also chipped in with 16 points.

In the break between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, however, Vowles opted to turn his attention away from the day-to-day stresses of F1, and instead engage in a new activity.

Vowles spent two days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain, racing around the track in a McLaren 720s GT3 Evo as part of a testing programme.

The Brit took to social media to post an image and a video of his exploits around the circuit, complete with the caption: "Spent a fantastic two days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. Mostly dry and a great technical circuit.

"I was driving a McLaren 720s GT3 Evo with Garage59. It was great to be back with a team that I have a strong history with."

Vowles previously raced for Garage59 during the 2022 Asian Le Mans Series as he made his international racing debut while he was still at Mercedes.

He continued: "I was rusty to start, it’s been a few years out of a GT3, but very happy with where we ended up after two days of testing.

"I had to hang up most of my engineering brain and focus on driving - and loved every second."

In a teaser for potentially more racing action to come for the Williams boss, Vowles signed off the post with: "More to follow."

Williams a team on the up

Vowles has been an instrumental part of Williams' turnaround in the last couple of years, and is hoping to turn them into a championship-contending team once more.

His ambition and vision for the future was crucial in allowing the team to sign Sainz, a four-time grand prix winner who was one of the stand out drivers in both 2023 and 2024.

While the Spaniard has struggled to fit in to his new team in 2025, there is real hope that he and Albon will be able to make yet more progress in 2026.

Wholesale regulation changes will sweep into the sport next year, with a potential shake up of the competitive order set to give teams like Williams an opportunity to make ground on their rivals.

On top of this, Williams are powered by Mercedes power units, and the Brackley-based outfit have been rumoured to be best placed to have mastered the new engine regulations for 2026.

Spent a fantastic two days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. Mostly dry and a great technical circuit. I was driving a McLaren 720s GT3 Evo with Garage59. It was great to be back with a team that I have a strong history with.

I was rusty to start, it’s been a few years out of… pic.twitter.com/zqNfHxWMub
— James Vowles (@JV_F1) September 14, 2025

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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McLaren Williams James Vowles