Horner: 'Only Mercedes and Williams know what was agreed on'

A shockwave went through the Formula 1 paddock recently when Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles was suddenly announced as Williams' new team boss. He assured that his loyalty from now on lies with his new team and, according to Christian Horner, there is no reason to doubt that.

Following the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, a true 'silly season' played out among team bosses. It started with the announced departure of Mattia Binotto, after which the ball also started rolling at Alfa Romeo. An unexpected move there was the arrival of Andreas Seidl, who leaves the McLaren team behind. Fred Vasseur, as expected, left for Ferrari to take over from Binotto.

Meanwhile, Jost Capito quit as Williams team boss, but his successor came from unexpected quarters. Soon, conspiracy theories arose about Vowles' plans, but Christian Horner does not believe there is anything to worry about. "I don’t know James particularly well, but he’s obviously a very capable guy," he began in conversation with MotorSport Magazine.

He continues: "Williams will have done their due diligence and research and I think it’s great that they’re giving him the chance to make that step up." As far as Horner is concerned, the arrival of the former Mercedes strategist can only be good news for the British racing stable.

Under what conditions Vowles was allowed to switch to another team so soon does remain a mystery. "Williams would have obviously done what’s right for them and right for their business. But only they will know what has been agreed for that early release to have happened," said the Red Bull Racing team boss.