LONDON- Formula One team Williams announced the appointment of James Vowles as their new team principal on Friday following the departure last month of Jost Capito.

Vowles, 43, who joins from Mercedes, is just the third person to fill the post in the 46-year history of the team after founder Frank Williams and Capito.

The Briton, who was motorsport strategy director at Mercedes, where he worked with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, said he could not wait to get started.

"It's an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage," he said. "The team is an icon of our sport, one I greatly respect, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge."

Williams was acquired by US-based investment firm Dorilton Capital in 2020.

Dorilton Capital chairman Matthew Savage said: "We are delighted to welcome James to Williams Racing.

"He is one of the most highly respected talents in Formula 1 and will bring performance. He has been a key part of some of the most impressive feats in the sport over the past 15 years."

The British F1 team were a dominant force in the 1980s and 1990s but finished bottom of the constructors' standings last year with just eight points.

                                                                                                         AFP