Ex-Williams Team Principal Jost Capito believes James Vowles is the right person to lead the former World Champions forward after confessing that exhaustion was the primary factor that led to his exit from the sport at the end of last year.
Capito returned to Formula 1 in December 2020 to take over the reins at the Grove-based outfit from acting Team Principal Simon Roberts, but the German departed the team at the conclusion of the 2022 season after two years at the helm.
In a recent interview with the German publication, AutoBild, Capito disclosed the fatigue stemming from a congested F1 schedule only served to solidify his original plan when he took on the role to leave Williams within a few years.
“From the outside, of course, you don’t have the insight, but I originally said that I would do this for two years, possibly a third,” Capito said.
“But in the meantime, there are so many races that it’s relatively exhausting. And it takes longer than two or three years to bring the team back to the top.”
During his time in charge, Williams recovered from the foot of the F1 field in 2021 and took a shock podium with George Russell at a washed-out Belgian GP, helping the team to solidify an eventual eighth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.
Although they struggled substantially in the new era of technical regulations last year and slipped back to the bottom of the pile in the standings, Capito insists he did a good job by putting in the necessary groundwork as Williams continue to plot a way back to the front of the grid.
Asked whether he considered his spell a success, Capito responded: “Yes, I simply believe that you first have to lay the foundation, and once that has been laid, you can build on it.
“I was convinced that this is the case now and I also communicated this to the board: That now that you have the basis, you should also have someone who will stay there in the long term and can continue from there.
Williams has since confirmed that the former long-time Mercedes chief strategist, James Vowles, would be moving into his first senior team principal role as Capito’s replacement.
While the appointment of the British engineer came as a surprise choice to many, Capito has admitted he is pleased with the route his former team has chosen to go down by opting for an experienced figure from the eight-time F1 champions.
“I have already worked closely with James, also with Mercedes and their drivers. He is very competent; I like him very much and he is also a good person.
“I congratulated him accordingly, of course”, he added.
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