14/08/2023
NEWS STORY
Williams boss, James Vowles promises that any new recruits to the team, including drivers, will be told exactly where the teams stands and what its genuine prospects are.
Just months into his new role, Vowles went public, revealing that certain aspects of the operation are almost derelict after not being upgraded in twenty years.
The former Mercedes chief strategist appears determined to say it as it is, and this is a practice he intends sticking to when recruiting newcomers to the Grove team.
There will be no sugar coating he vows, new recruits, even drivers, will be told exactly where the team is along with his hopes for the future and how he hopes to get there.
"Anything you do that lends them to realise that the numbers are fictitious will give you a short-term gain for a long-term massive deficit, including a loss of a driver," said the Briton, according to Motorsport.com.
"What I've done with both Pat and Alex as well, is show them why we will be moving forward on the long-term vision," he continued, referring to driver Alex Albon and newly recruited technical boss, Pat Fry.
"The best thing you can do is ask Alex," he added. "You'll find he's very comfortable with where he is at the moment because he can see we've delivered across the last six months and what the pathway is across the next few years as well.
"If you do anything else to them, all you do is at one point they'll be disrupted with 'This isn't the reality of what you promised them'," he admitted.
"So, this is why the whole way through I've been focusing on the long-term and a truthful analysis of the long-term, but allowing people to buy into that vision."
Meanwhile, there is media speculation that Mick Schumacher could replace Logan Sargeant, whom Vowles appeared to deliberately omit from his comments.
The German is test and reserve driver with Mercedes after being dropped by Haas at the end of last season, and has won praise from both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell this season for his commitment and development work.
When it was unclear whether Sargeant would gain the requisite points for his superlicence, Williams held exploratory talks with Schumacher before the American got the all-clear.