The Williams Formula 1 Team is going through its most radical overhaul in its 44 year history in the wake of Investment firm Dorilton Capital taking the reins from Sir Frank Williams and family in August of last year.
We have a new CEO, new team principal, new board members and new modus operandi as the old way at Williams is hastily consigned to history and a new philosophy takes over.
Gone is the staunch independence at the cost of almost all else as Williams tighten their relationship with Mercedes F1, who will now supply the team with far more interchangeable parts than ever before when Sir Frank chose to design and manufacture as much as possible in-house so as to operate as autonomously as he felt a true F1 constructor could and should.
However, Dorilton Capital are keen to maintain one cultural element of the setup at Williams – the feeling within the team that the Williams family encouraged in its 40+ year tenure.
“Dorilton don’t want to shift that lovely feel that exists within Williams – that kind of family spirit and friendliness” said Simon Roberts, Williams new Team Principal on motorsport.com
“We’ve put together an investment plan that was focused at ‘what do we need to do, what can we do and what should we do to add performance to the team?'”
“It’s 100 percent focused on adding performance [and] that does include making sure it’s a great place to work.”
“We’ll be investing in some of the facilities in the factory. It’s just simple stuff, but stuff that makes it better for people to work there.”
Roberts added that the team still enjoys a great relationship with Sir Frank and Claire Williams – former Williams Deputy Team Principal – and have a huge amount of respect for all they did in making the Williams Team into what it is today.
“We accept that things have to move on, but there will always be a place here for Claire to pop back and see us”
“Hopefully when we’re back in Europe sometime next year, she’ll be able to do that. But she’s had a really tough time. Keeping this together for as long as she has, and keeping spirits up as she has, is amazing. We really respect everything she did.”
“But, we’re Williams still. And that’s really important to us.”
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