Williams: 'Nice if Verstappen wants to drive for us in a couple of years'

Williams was once a celebrated top team in Formula 1, but in recent years the British formation has invariably been riding at the back. With James Vowles came a new team boss in early 2023. And that new team boss has big ambitions, although he knows there is still an awful lot of work to be done.

Since 2021, there has been a budget cap in Formula 1 so teams like Mercedes and Red Bull Racing cannot spend more money in a season than Williams. Yet the gap between these top teams remains huge. This is mainly due to inferior facilities; simulators, test benches, research and development.

Catching up

Williams has a lot of catching up to do and it helps that the FIA announced this month that the 'lesser gods' in Formula 1 are allowed to invest more money than the top teams in better facilities. Vowles insisted for a long time and has now got his way. And it was necessary too.

"What do we have? A lot of old equipment. Some machines are 20 years old or even broken," the 44-year-old Briton reveals to NOS. "We have to row with what we have. We do that. And we invest. But I have to honestly admit I was shocked when I started here last year. It was a bit worse than I feared."

The replacement for the departed Jost Capito faces a big job, but that only motivates him. "You can look at it very negatively. Yes, there is an extreme amount of work to do. It's a challenge, but we love that. We have a lot of good people. I am working on putting all the dots in the right place. This season is motivating. If we perform like this with what we have now, it will really work out. I know that for sure. It would be great if Max Verstappen wants to drive for us in a few years' time. Because we will have everything so well together by then," Vowles said.

Rising line Williams

Williams' results in the constructors' championship in recent years? P10, P10, P10, P8 and P10. In 2023, the Grove-based formation occupies seventh place for now. Step by step, Vowles hopes to advance with Williams to the (sub)top of the royal class of motorsport in the coming years.