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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – AUGUST 04: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium with Mercedes GP Chief Strategist James Vowles during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 04, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – AUGUST 04: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium with Mercedes GP Chief Strategist James Vowles during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 04, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The 2022 Formula 1 season produced a phenomenal silly season. The silly season took a startling turn when even the team bosses came under the line of fire. Mattia Binotto was the first victim. However, the most unexpected departure was from Jost Capito. The world of F1 was blindsighted by the German’s departure, which paved the way for Mercedes man James Vowles. However, according to Capito, this was always the plan.
In an interview with Auto Bild, Jost Capito answered various questions. Among those questions, the German also revealed his shock and untimely withdrawal from Williams was “always the plan.”
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 22, 2022. Williams CEO and Team Principal Jost Capito during a press conference REUTERS/Brian Snyder
When asked if the split was “100% your decision?” He revealed, “We just talked because from the start it was always the plan that I would do it for two years, three at the most. So we talked about what’s the right thing to do now, and it quickly became clear that now is a good time to hand it over.” (Translated via Google)
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Read More: Williams F1 Boss Jost Capito Rubbishes Conspiracy Theories
The ex-Mercedes chief strategist is at the helm now at Williams and given the already established relationship between the two teams, some suggested Williams will become a B-team now. However, Capito rubbished such claims. Moreover, Capito even shared his respect for the new Williams boss.
Jost Capito shared how he feels about his Mercedes successor as the new team boss
Now that we know the shock departure was Capito’s decision and not a forced exit, he also revealed how he feels about James Vowles. Jost revealed he regards Vowles highly as a team boss and a human being.
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Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 20, 2021. Williams Racing Chief Executive Officer Jost Capito in the FIA Press Conference FIA/Handout via REUTERS
He said, “Yes, I’ve worked closely with James, also with Mercedes and their drivers (like Nyck de Vries; ed.). He’s incredibly competent. I like him a lot and he’s also very good as a human being. Of course, I congratulated him accordingly.”
The German is leaving his former team in capable hands.
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Plenty of changes and names are ready to make their mark in various roles in the premier class in the upcoming season. It will be interesting to see who stands out!
