James Patrick Vowles (born 20 June 1979) is a British

motorsport Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of t ...

engineer and Team Principal of

Williams Racing Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams (Formula One), Frank Williams and aut ...

since 20 February 2023. He was the chief strategist at

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team Mercedes-Benz, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1954. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, which is based in Brackley, England, and possesses ...

from 2010-2023. Vowles has worked in many

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

teams as a

race engineer A race engineer is a motorsport team member who analyses data to achieve the best performance from the vehicle and driver. The race engineer communicates with the team's data analyst, mechanics, and driver, both between and during races. Off the ...

and strategist and enjoyed success. With two different Formula One teams, he has won nine Constructors' Championships and over 100 Grands Prix. Vowles was responsible for the Brawn GP race strategy, which was critical to the team's championship-winning 2009 season. After working with the championship-winning Brawn GP, Vowles stayed with the team after its sale to Mercedes in 2010.

Career

Vowles started his Formula 1 career as an engineer at

British American Racing British American Racing (BAR) was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year. Subsequently, they formed a partnership with Honda which l ...

and Honda Racing F1 Team. He was promoted to race strategist at Brawn GP after the team was saved by a

management buyout A management buyout (MBO) is a form of acquisition in which a company's existing managers acquire a large part, or all, of the company, whether from a parent company or individual. Management-, and/or leveraged buyout became noted phenomena o ...

of the Honda Racing F1 team led by

Ross Brawn Ross James Brawn (born 23 November 1954) is a British Formula One managing director, motor sports and technical director. He is a former motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal, and has worked for a number of Formula One teams. Serv ...

. He was instrumental in the team's championship-winning 2009 season.Brawn GP James Vowles Feature
1 September 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.

9 September 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009. The team was later bought by Mercedes in 2010. Since 20 February 2023, he is the Team Principal of

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams and automotive engineer Patrick Hea ...

Education

Vowles attended the

International School of Geneva The International School of Geneva (in French: ''Ecole Internationale de Genève''), also known as "Ecolint" or "The International School", is a private, non-profit international school based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1924 in the servic ...

, graduating in 1997. He went on to the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

, obtaining a degree in computer science in 2000, followed by a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Motorsport Engineering and Management from

Cranfield University , mottoeng = After clouds light , established = 1946 - College of Aeronautics 1969 - Cranfield Institute of Technology (gained university status by royal charter) 1993 - Cranfield University (adopted current name) , type = Public research uni ...

in 2001, receiving the

Prodrive Prodrive is a British motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Bahrain Raid Xtreme and Team X44. Its advanced technolo ...

Award of Excellence.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vowles, James Living people 1979 births International School of Geneva alumni Alumni of the University of East Anglia Alumni of Cranfield University English motorsport people Formula One team principals Formula One engineers English engineers Mercedes-Benz in Formula One