Williams F1 Principal Vowles to Race in Gulf 12 Hours

James Vowles, the team principal of the Williams Formula 1 squad, will return to competitive racing next month by competing in the Gulf 12 Hours endurance event at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit on December 14, 2025. The 46-year-old Briton, who has led Williams since 2023, will drive a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for the Garage 59 team, marking his first race since 2022.

The 12-hour race, part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, comes just one week after the Formula 1 season finale at the same venue on December 7. Vowles, designated as a Bronze-rated driver by the FIA, will share the car with Alexander West, the 2024 Gulf 12 Hours Pro-Am winner; Mark Sansom, the 2025 International GT Open Am runner-up; and Marco Pulcini, a two-time International GT Open Pro-Am champion. This lineup combines experienced endurance racers with Vowles' strategic expertise from his F1 background.

Vowles last competed in 2022, when he participated in all four rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series for Garage 59, driving the same McLaren 720S GT3 model and scoring two points in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. At the time, he served as strategy director for Mercedes. His return stems from a expressed interest in racing...