Williams Formula 1 team principal James Vowles has made the most of the week-long break between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix by taking to the wheel of a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for two days of GT3 testing in Spain.
The test took place at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. Vowles returned to Garage 59, with which he raced in GT in the Asian Le Mans Series in 2022.
“Spent a fantastic two days at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. Mostly dry and a great technical circuit,” the team principal shared on social media. “I was driving a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo with Garage 59. It was great to be back with a team that I have a strong history with.
“I was rusty to start, it’s been a few years out of a GT3 but very happy with where we ended up after two days of testing. I had to hang up most of my engineering brain and focus on driving – and loved every second. More to follow.”
The McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, which is currently used by Garage 59, CSA Racing, Optimum Motorsport and Team RJN in the GT World Challenge Europe, boasts a V8 twin-turbocharged engine with 740bhp and a top speed of 212mph.
Vowles joined Williams as team principal in 2023 after a long stint at Mercedes from 2010 to 2022. Since he joined the Grove outfit, the team has seen a significant boost in performance and an increase in partnerships. The team rose from 10th in 2022 to seventh in the constructors’ standings in 2023, before a drop to ninth in 2024. As it currently stands in 2025, Williams sits fifth in the championship.
James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams
Photo by: Shu Zelin / Paddocker / NurPhoto via Getty Images
As a result, Vowles signed a new long-term deal with the team in June 2025.
“I am delighted to sign a new contract with Atlassian Williams Racing, which has felt like home from the moment I walked through the door,” Vowles explained at the time of the announcement. “This iconic team has already given me some incredible memories and we are all united in our ambition to build on our legacy and win world championships again.
“Over the past two years, we have focused on fixing the foundations, and now have a platform to go for glory in the years to come.”
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