The historic team Williams F1 has been somewhat in the doldrums for the last eight or so years. After a spell as the BMW works team had finished in the mid-noughties, the team fell on hard times with a long run of pay drivers and low investment.
Despite a resurgence off the back of running successfully the highly dominant Mercedes Power Unit for the 2014 rule change season, the team has since slipped further and further back into obscurity.
This led to the Williams family, paternal leader and founder; Sir Frank Williams, to sell his team to Dorlitan Capital in 2020.
Williams is the third oldest and most successful constructor in the sport’s history, with 114 wins and 16 titles, but has not won a race since 2012 and their last championship was with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
Established in 1977 as Williams Grand Prix Engineering, the team reached its peak in the 80s and 90s with champions Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Villeneuve.
A different situation from what we see currently; a back-of-the-grid team, firefighting to stay alive each season.
Williams family sells up & gains investment
The sale to Dorlitan seems to have ‘steadied the ship’ somewhat, and with some significant investments pumped into the team. Allegedly to the tune of £36 million just for this year alone.
The team also made the slightly unexpected but understandable decision to axe team principal Jost Capito this winter with his replacement, Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles, starting on February 20th.
Already this appears to be making some ‘return in investment’ for 2023 and especially it appears that Silverstone could be a turning point based on the Friday practices when Alex Albon put his Williams in the top three in both Friday practice sessions at the British Grand Prix.
This coupled with some better results in recent Grand Prix for the 2023 F1 season; could we could start to see the benefit of having a senior ex-Mercedes boss running the show, along with the investments put into the team from Grove?
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New surprise signing for Williams
Williams is set to make a significant addition to its technical department with the appointment of former Renault boss Nick Chester as the team’s new Formula One Technical Director. The move comes as Williams looks to strengthen its team following the departure of FX Demaison and former team boss Jost Capito at the end of 2022.
Incoming team principal James Vowles has made it a priority to fill the technical director position, but has emphasized the importance of taking the time to find the right person for the role.
While Vowles recently confirmed that a deal had been struck, the identity of the new technical director was not disclosed. However, sources now indicate that it is likely to be Nick Chester, who previously worked at Renault before leaving in 2020.
Chester brings a wealth of experience to Williams, having also worked with the Mercedes and McLaren Formula E teams. Additionally, he has reportedly signed a short-term deal with Andretti as they aim to secure a place on the Formula One grid for the 2026 season.
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Lewis Hamilton took a brave line at the start of #F1Sprint 💪#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/L9SECnLAAK
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 3, 2023
Pat Fry to join Williams?
In addition to the appointment of Nick Chester, it is also rumored that Pat Fry will join Williams as Chief Technical Officer. Fry currently holds the same role at Alpine and has extensive experience in Formula One, having worked with teams such as Benetton, McLaren, Ferrari, and Manor.
Williams is actively recruiting for various senior positions and is committed to finding the right individuals to fill these roles.
The team’s spokesperson declined to comment on specific rumors regarding Chester and Fry.
As Williams prepares for the upcoming British Grand Prix, the team currently sits ninth in the Constructors’ Championship. Alex Albon has scored seven points so far, including an impressive seventh-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. Rookie driver Logan Sargeant is yet to score points, with his best result being 12th place in Bahrain.
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