James Vowles wants Williams to have the same ‘winning mentality’ as Mercedes, claims Alex Albon

Newly-appointed Williams boss James Vowles wants his team to have the same winning mentality as his former employer, Mercedes, according to driver Alex Albon.

Vowles was the Chief Strategist for the Silver Arrows from 2010 to 2022 before moving to Williams to replace Jost Capito as team principal.

Albon believes Vowles' experience from his time at Mercedes can help Williams climb from the bottom of the F1 grid in the forthcoming season.

While speaking to the media at the launch event of the team's livery for 2023, Alex Albon said:

"He motivates all of us to listen to him and to understand why Mercedes do certain things and the reasons for it. He said the team wants to have that winning mentality that Mercedes have used. It’s a little bit tricky just because of this being almost peak month for [us] getting ready for the next year."

The former Red Bull driver went on to add:

"James (Vowles) coming on board now, with his experience with Mercedes, hopefully that can obviously pull things forward and increase the evolution of the car. You can very much tell with James that he’s had a lot of experience in all areas of the company at Mercedes, so hopefully we can put that to good use. You can see that he’s very keen, he’s motivated to get the team to where he knows the team can be. It’s exciting."

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"They really do see the future" - Alex Albon on Dorilton Capital's 'open' approach with Williams

Alex Albon has lauded Dorilton Capital's open and transparent approach to managing the Williams team heading into the 2023 F1 season.

The private investment firm took charge of the team after buying out the Williams family in August 2020. It has aspirations of restoring the side's former glory in the years to come.

With the arrival of James Vowles from Mercedes, Albon believes Dorilton Capital's long-term vision for Williams is going in the right direction.

While speaking to the media at the launch event of the team's new livery, he said:

"It’s pretty open. I’d say that’s the first thing. I get to speak to the board quite often, and the main thing is long-term vision. I think that’s important for any kind of investment company."

The 26-year-old went on to add:

"They really do see the future, they are investing, and you see also with James (Vowles). I know the areas that we want to improve. We have this big sense that they are fully behind everything. That’s all there is really to it. I think they trust me as well, and we get on very well."

Albon was the team's most consistent performer in 2022. He will have to keep racing at the same level this year if he is to take them into a proper midfield battle this year.