Williams Formula One boss James Vowles has explained how the team has been working on the development of its 2024 car despite not having a permanent technical director.
The team has been without a technical director since the departure of Francois-Xavier Demaison in December. Although Williams announced earlier this month that it had signed experienced Alpine engineer Pat Fry as technical director, he will not start work until the winter.
The team is also yet to appoint a technical director, who is likely to be another member of a rival team with leadership ambitions, while the car is being designed for 2024.
With work on the new car already well advanced, Vowles reveals that he is putting together a committee of sorts for the early development stage of the 2024 car.
He explains, “Pat won’t be with us in time to really influence the early elements of next year’s car. I’ve put together a group of people that includes some strong aerodynamics people: Dave Warner, who is acting as interim engineering director, myself and Dave Robson (head of vehicle development).”
Vowles admits that the current division of labour is not a “long-term solution” but rather a stop-gap until Fry takes full control: “It’s not the optimal way to go, but there is a group of people who basically agree on the direction we should go.
The Briton continues, “Every one of us is a sensible decision-maker, but it means we agree on where we want to go. It’s going in the right direction, but it’s obviously not a long-term solution.”
This one is said to be different: “The long-term solution is Pat coming in and basically holding the reins much more in that direction.” Vowles also confirms that the current car will not receive any further upgrades for the rest of the season.
Instead, Williams wants to amass resources for next year as part of a major change to the “fundamental” design concept. Or, to put it another way, “The car we have, that’s it…. we don’t have anything else lined up for the rest of the year.”
The focus is already on the future – and not just next year, as the team boss makes clear: “The focus – and not just now, but actually for a while now – is on 2024, and actually 2025 and 2026 as well.”
Vowles describes the big overall goal as follows: “I want to connect all parts of the organisation so that we are going in the same direction, which is what is happening now. “
