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James Vowles: ‘the most difficult year of my career’ - F1 Beyond The Grid | Spot Sports

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James Vowles: ‘the most difficult year of my career’

F1 Beyond The Grid›

Oct 6, 202656:52

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Mentioned in this episode

CSCarlos Sainz AAAlexander Albon

Williams Racing

Episode Notes

2026 was supposed to be the year Williams made a big step forward in Formula 1.

They’d scored their first podiums under Team Principal James Vowles in 2025, all while prioritising focus on this new era of regulations, so expectations of what they could achieve this season were high. But they’ve fallen well short of those.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, James talks about the phone calls he had with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz before the season to tell them the team was ‘in trouble’, whether he was worried both drivers would leave and why the car was overweight in the first place.

James is very honest and self-critical, reflecting on what he’d do differently and the advice he’d give himself in hindsight. But he’s also optimistic about the future, with the team fighting hard to overcome their struggles and showing ‘true innovation’ to create a new chassis that was introduced in Baku.

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"James Vowles: ‘the most difficult year of my career’" is an episode of F1 Beyond The Grid. Runtime 56 min. Published October 6, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.

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Quick FAQ

When was this episode published?: October 6, 2026.
How long is this episode?: 56 min.
What podcast is this from?: F1 Beyond The Grid. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
What does this episode cover?: F1 Beyond The Grid covers motorsports. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.

James Vowles: ‘the most difficult year of my career’