The testing days ahead of the 2022 Formula One season will begin soon, and quite crucially, one of the most prominent engineers will not be available for the defending champions Mercedes AMG.

James Vowles, head of strategy for the Brackley outfit, has signed up for a role in the upcoming Asian Le Mans. And by ‘role’, one might assume the Briton will again spend his time in the garage sporting a pair of headphones, working his way through strategies through the event. But, that’s not it!

Vowles will rather be a racing driver and will find himself at the wheel of the McLaren 720S GT3. On Monday, the Garage 59 team confirmed that Vowles would be teaming up with Manuel Maldonado, the 2021 LMP3 class winner, and Nicolai Kjaegaard.

This is also an exciting season for Garage 59 this time around, as they will be returning to McLaren for the first time since 2018. Over the past three years, they spent their stint competing with an Aston Martin Vantage. Hence, the return to McLaren has apparently gotten the team boss, Andrew Kirkaldy excited.

“We are all excited to get started with the McLaren 720S and hopefully get our first win of the season. It will surely help to have one of Formula 1’s best strategists in the team as well,” Kirkaldy told Motorsport.

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Will Vowles’s absence put a dent in Mercedes’ factory work?

Not at all, according to Soy Motor. Mercedes are seemingly happy with the fact that one of their engineers will be taking part in a racing event as a driver.

The 2022 Asian Le Mans Series comprises two rounds, each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The schedule suggests that the event should end a few days prior to the start of winter testing in Barcelona. Hence, Vowles will have enough time in hand to complete his race in the Gulf and head back to Europe to contribute to Formula One.

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The first two races will take place on February 12 and 13 at the Dubai Autodrome. A weekend later, the second and final round will take place at Yas Marina on February 19 and 20.

Overall, this is an amazing new opportunity for Vowles having to drive a McLaren Supercar. So, will he be able to secure decent finishes in both rounds or maybe even race wins? Well, only time will tell.

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