Williams team boss James Vowles will be getting behind the wheel of a race car later this year. The Brit has some racing experience and has tested multiple times this year with Garage 59’s GT3 team. After the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he will participate in the Gulf 12 Hours, which is also held at Yas Marina. Vowles, who can’t wait to race competitively again, will be driving a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.
Following the GP of Abu Dhabi and the subsequent post-season tests, James Vowles will stay in the Gulf state for another week. The Williams executive has registered for the Gulf 12 Hours, an endurance race that takes place the weekend after the last Grand Prix. After a successful GT3 test in September, the 46-year-old Brit expressed his desire to participate in international races again. At that time, he tested with a McLaren from Garage 59 at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain.
‘Very strong line-up’
At Yas Marina, he will once again drive for Garage 59, a British motorsport team based in Brackley. He will share the car with good friend Alexander West, winner of the Gulf 12 Hours Pro-Am in 2024, and Mark Sansom and Marco Pulcini, leaders in the International GT Open. “I’ve already had a few test days this year and I can’t wait to start racing again,” James Vowles announced on social media. “We have a very strong line-up. In Formula 1, of course, I work with the most exceptional athletes, on a completely different level, but I think it’s important to share a small part of their experiences.”
Vowles last participated in an international race in 2022. He drove all four rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series, also in a McLaren GT3 from Garage 59. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with James during the ALMS campaign in 2022,” team boss Andrew Kirkaldy stated in a press release. “His approach, professionalism, and strategic insight made for an excellent collaboration. We are all looking forward to seeing him back in action in Abu Dhabi.”
