In F1, team principals bear a great weight of responsibility from the pit wall, but one of the paddock’s rising stars is letting off steam by hitting the racetrack

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James Vowles competed for the Garage 59 team, driving a McLaren GT3 machine(Image: Luca Barsali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

James Vowles has built a reputation as a rising star in the F1 team principal ranks, guiding Williams to a fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship in 2025, just five years after they finished bottom of the standings, pointless, in 2020.

However, the 46-year-old has another passion project on the side, racing GT3 cars for Garage 59. Just one week after watching Lando Norris wrap up the F1 Drivers’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vowles took part in the Gulf 12 Hours at the same circuit.

Piloting the No. 8 McLaren 720S GT3, Vowles qualified first in class alongside team-mates and co-drivers Alexander West, Marco Pulcini and Mark Sansom, before converting that result into a first-in-class victory in parts of Sunday’s 12-hour race.

Writing on social media after qualifying, Vowles reported: “P1 in class, P4 in Pro-Am (without a pro!) and P13 overall for the team today out in Abu Dhabi. Well done, really strong qualifying and great laps from Alex, Mark and Marco.

“On a personal note, I was delighted to claim P2 in Group 1 of qualifying. Fastest bronze – good start, long way to go! Tomorrow will be tough, an eight-hour race with a second four-hour race, but we’re ready for the challenge.”

Vowles’ experience behind the wheel at the Yas Marina Circuit was not his first time driving GT3 machinery. In fact, the Williams team principal competed in four rounds of the 2022 Asian Le Mans Series for Garage 59, scoring two points in the process.

To prepare himself for his first competitive race in three years, Vowles took part in a two-day test behind the wheel of the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo in between the Italian Grand Prix and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix earlier this year.

“Spent a fantastic two days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. Mostly dry and a great technical circuit,” Vowles said after his test. “I was driving a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo with Garage 59. 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 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. More to follow.”

Whether or not Vowles will extend his racing career revival into 2026 and beyond remains to be seen. In the meantime, Williams are fully focused on the new F1 technical regulations, which offer the Grove-based team an opportunity to continue their journey to becoming a regular threat for podium finishes.