For Vowles, the example of McLaren in 2023 shows that the regulations work

In addition Red Bull, if there was a team that stood out in 2023, it’s good McLaren. The British team went from the back of the pack at the start of the championship, to podiums and pole positions at the end of the season. A dazzling and extremely rare progression in the modern era of Formula 1 which would be due, according to James Vowles, to the sporting and technical regulations introduced since 2021. More than two years ago, the discipline put in place a cost capping system as well as a new decreasing scale for aerodynamic tests in the wind tunnel , based on championship position at the end of the previous season.

Two measures which thus make it possible to progress in the hierarchy in season racing, according to the Team Principal of Williams. “What I liked this season is that McLaren showed how to go from the back of the grid to the front, just like Alpha Tauri, said the British leader, referring to the close fight between Williams and AlphaTauri for seventh place in the constructors' championship. We went from a team that wasn't really scoring points to a team that, since the August break, has always been in and around the points, so I like this regulation which allows teams to go up and down [in the hierarchy]. »

McLaren, a source of inspiration for Williams

At Williams, inevitably, this upward trajectory towards the best positions on the grid serves as inspiration for the seasons to come. The team based in Grove (United Kingdom) has already shown promising performances in the second part of the championship, with a total of 28 points scored (compared to 8 in 2022).

“The reality is that there are teams this year, including McLaren and AlphaTauri, who have made huge progress on the car and are starting to fight with the big guys. Our aspirations are very clearly to continue moving forward as we have been doing, underlines James Vowles. The situation is very different from 12 months ago, as Williams has gone from not scoring points to scoring in most events, or to one where she has the ability to score. »

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