Why Williams team boss James Vowles suddenly got into the cockpit himself

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Williams team boss James Vowles used the one-week break between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grand Prix to get behind the wheel himself: He tested a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for two days in Spain.

The test took place at the Circuito de Navarra. Vowles returned to Garage 59, with whom he had already competed in the Asian Le Mans Series GT racing in 2022.

"Those were two fantastic days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain," the team principal wrote on social media. "It was mostly dry and a great technical track. I was driving a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo from Garage 59. It was nice to be back with a team I have a close connection with."

Knot burst quickly

"I was a bit rusty at the beginning—it's been a few years since I've been in a GT3, after all—but after two days of testing, I was very happy with where we ended up. I had to turn off most of my engineering brain and focus on driving—and I loved every second. More on that to come."

The McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, which is currently used by Garage 59, CSA Racing, Optimum Motorsport and Team RJN, among others, in the GT World Challenge Europe, is equipped with a V8 biturbo engine with 740 hp and reaches a top speed of around 340 kilometers per hour.

Vowles took over as team principal at Williams in 2023, having previously worked at Mercedes from 2010 to 2022. Since taking office at Grove, the team has seen a significant improvement in performance and new partnerships.

Williams with Vowles on the rise

After finishing tenth in the Constructors' Championship in 2022, Williams climbed to seventh in 2023 before falling back to ninth in 2024. The team is currently in fifth place in the current 2025 season.

As a result, Vowles signed a new long-term contract in June 2025. "I am delighted to have signed a new contract with Atlassian Williams Racing, a team that has felt like home from the very first moment," he explained at the time.

"This iconic team has already given me incredible memories, and we are all united in our goal to continue writing our history and win world championships again. Over the past two years, we have renewed the foundations, and now we have built a platform to strive for glory in the years to come."