James Vowles: podium pride + Williams’ winning potential

F1 Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports News, News, Sports, Technology, Automotive

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

With 16 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships combined, Williams are the third most successful team in Formula 1 history – behind Ferrari and McLaren.

But they haven’t won a title since 1997 and it’s 13 years since they last won a race, so Team Principal James Vowles is on a mission to bring the glory days back to Williams.

In 2025, the team have taken big steps towards success. Carlos Sainz secured the team’s first podium in four years when he finished third in Baku, and they’ve amassed their highest points total since 2016.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, James reveals what he and Carlos spoke about over dinner before that sensational podium, why that result means so much to the whole team, and the reasons Carlos had endured a frustrating season up to that point.

On the other side of the garage, James shares what he thinks is different about Alex Albon this year and how he’s risen to the challenge of having a much more experienced and competitive teammate.

And while Williams have performed better than expected in 2025 with such a strong driver line-up, their main focus is 2026. So what opportunities will the new era of Formula 1 bring them? Given James’s first-hand experience of the intense championship battles between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, what would his approach be if Alex and Carlos are fighting for a title in the coming years?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Carlos Sines will stand on the podium.
0:05.0	It's Williams' first podium since 2021.
0:09.0	When I were back in the factory, we put the trophy in reception.
0:13.0	It was just cues of people, just wanting the ability to touch it for a few seconds and have a photo with it.
0:18.0	And that's what meant the world to me.
0:20.0	The individuals who have literally given up
0:21.5	their life for Williams and for myself and for our journey. And it's a tiny, tiny reward for them
0:27.3	on the way back. James Vowles has reached another milestone on his mission to bring the glory
0:34.8	days back to Williams. But he's still focused on the bigger picture.
0:40.6	It's one podium. I love it to bits. It means the world to me. But it is just one podium at a stage.
0:46.8	And what I want is almost you to be bored by it. It's actually not asking me, how is it being on the
0:51.0	podium. My goal in all of this, as is Alex, as is Carlos,
0:54.7	is to leave our DNA, our fingerprint, inside the team for it to be a championship material,
1:00.4	which then allows them to go on and win championships.
1:07.4	After a first podium in four years, and their highest points total since 2016,
1:12.6	Williams are definitely on their way up.
1:15.6	Here on F1B on the grid, with me, Tom Clarkson, their team principle reflects on those landmark achievements and where the team goes from here.
1:26.6	We find out what James and Carlos Sites talked about over dinner just before that sensational
1:32.0	P3 in Baku.
1:33.5	Plus, what's different about Alex Albon this year and what opportunities the 2026
1:39.2	regulation changes will bring the team?
1:42.1	And if one of those opportunities is a title fight between Alex and
	...

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