Capito: I planned to work at Williams for two or three years

Former Williams team boss Yost Capito told Auto Bild his departure was planned in advance. He also shared his thoughts on some other current issues..

Q: How are you doing after you left the position of head of Williams in mid-December? Did you manage to get some rest?
Josh Capito (laughs) There was not much rest, because if you want to retire, you have to do a lot of preparatory work: applying for a pension, etc.

Question: What was the reason for your dismissal? From the outside it seemed that this happened rather unexpectedly, shortly after the end of the season …
Josh Capito: Of course there’s not much to look at from the outside, but I said from the start that I was ready to take on the position of head of Williams for two, maybe three years. But now the championship calendar consists of such a large number of races that this work has become quite tedious. In addition, to reach a higher level in terms of results, you have to work in a team for more than two or three years.

Question: You did manage to make some changes for the better…
Josh Capito: Yes, I think that first of all it was necessary to lay the foundations, and only then, when the foundation is ready, can anything be built on it. I’m sure we succeeded. In addition, I myself said to the management of the company: “Now that you have a foundation, you need someone who will stay on the team for a longer period of time and continue what he started.”

Q: Does this mean that leaving the team was 100% your decision?
Josh Capito: From the very beginning it was planned that I would keep this position for two, maximum three years. So, together with the team and owners, we decided it was best to do it now. It was soon confirmed that the moment for the transfer of powers had been well chosen.

Q: As a result, Williams signed a contract with James Vowles, the former Mercedes chief strategist, and he took your place. Are you satisfied with this decision?
Josh Capito: Yes, I once worked with James, but also with Mercedes and with the riders of this team. Vowles is a very skilled specialist, I like him, and on top of that he is a nice person. Therefore, of course, I sincerely congratulated him.

Question: Did you participate in the decision-making process regarding his appointment? Did you know he could be your successor?
Josh Capito: No, when I left the team, the question of who would lead the team was still open.

Q: Do you think the arrival of Vowles will further strengthen the ties between Williams and Mercedes? Some rivals are already expressing fears that Williams could become a Mercedes satellite team…
Josh Capito: I do not think so. I tend to classify this as just a team leader change. But there is at least a close cooperation between Mercedes and Williams, especially in the field of the supply of engines and transmissions. That is why I believe that everything will remain as it is.

Q: There is a lot of talk now about new teams in Formula 1, especially Michael Andretti knocking on the doors of the championship. You regularly attended meetings where team leaders discussed this situation – how do you rate it?
Josh Capito: Everything must be analyzed in detail, but one thing is clear: only teams that have the right infrastructure and financial support are allowed to come to the championship. If a team comes, but is soon forced to relinquish the championship, I don’t think it’s good for Formula 1. Therefore, teams that want to play in the World Championship have to prove they can stay in it.

Q: But in the case of Andretti, this is very real, because the projects of this company in IndyCar and Formula E have developed quite successfully over the years, and now they are building a new modern base …
Josh Capito: But these projects are somewhat different from the Formula 1 team.In general, a lot depends on several nuances here. For example, when I worked at Williams, there was simply no connection between Andretti Autosport and General Motors. Consequently, such cooperation was not so relevant for both sides until recently.

Q: Let’s change the subject: you attended the Race of Champions in Sweden – you can say that this annual event brings together the elite of world motorsport. How would you rate it?
Josh Capito: These competitions are always fun. Naturally, as soon as the racers get behind the wheel of the car, each of them strives to win. But there is a very jovial atmosphere, because there are many interesting things besides racing. For example, in the evening, many people play table tennis – in general, everyone is calm and relaxed. Not only is the atmosphere great at the Race of Champions, the cars are also beautiful. All in all, this is a wonderful event.

Question: Did you go there, among other things, to meet old acquaintances?
Josh Capito: Yes, of course, I have had good contacts with the ROC organizers for a long time. Even when I worked at Ford, we supplied them with cars for this race. In addition, my brother does a significant part of the work there – he is responsible for the logistics and for the construction of the track. But he lives in Thailand, so we rarely see each other.

So I said that now that I have more free time, I will definitely come to ROC with my kids.

Question: Do you already have specific plans for the future? Are you going to do something or do you decide to retire completely?
Josh Capito: Let’s see what the options are. I would like to work with someone, perhaps in an advisory role. But working in a large company, where there is a large team, and I have to do everyday things, is no longer part of my plans.