Williams team principal James Vowles will return to racing by competing in the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina. He will race with Garage 59, driving a McLaren 720S GT3 alongside Alexander West, Mark Sansom and Marco Pulcini.

The event takes place on Sunday, 14 December, one week after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale. Vowles said he looks forward to wearing a race helmet again and noted his previous racing experience with Garage 59 in the 2022 Asian Le Mans Series, where he scored two points.

Garage 59 team principal Andrew Kirkcaldy said the team valued Vowles’ professionalism and strategic knowledge during the 2022 season and welcomed his return. The Gulf 12 Hours will be Vowles’ first competitive race since taking over as Williams boss in 2023.

Aston Martin has confirmed a significant leadership change, with Adrian Newey taking over as team principal for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The move follows recent speculation that Andy Cowell could leave the position, with figures such as Christian Horner and Andreas Seidl mentioned in replacement rumours.

The team has clarified that Newey and Cowell will split responsibilities as part of the structure for Aston Martin’s transition into a full works team. Newey will lead technical development, oversee trackside operations, and serve as team principal. Cowell will become Chief Strategy Officer, focusing on strengthening partnerships with Honda, Aramco, and Valvoline.

Cowell said the organisational changes he introduced make this the right time to shift roles. Team owner Lawrence Stroll will continue directing the business side of Aston Martin’s F1 operations.

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