Claire Williams insists that leadership of her family’s famous Formula One team will remain unchanged after its recent sale to Dorilton Capital.
Williams ended lingering doubts about its immediate future by securing the sale to the U.S.-based private investment firm. The deal will keep it under the Williams brand, and the team will operate at its existing headquarters in Grove, England.
Claire Williams, who oversees day-to-day operations, has remained deputy team boss while her father, team founder Frank Williams, is team principal. She said that will remain the case.
“This is very early days, and it is business as usual,” Williams said when quizzed about her position. “I am running the team in my capacity, and that will continue to be the case.”
Williams was asked to clarify what she meant by “business as usual” on several occasions but replied by simply repeating the phrase.
She said the sale ended a stressful period of time in charge of the team.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say it had been an emotional few months, but we have managed to get our heads around it and that is a good thing.
“At Williams, we have always put the team first. It has been at the heart of the Williams family.
“We put our people first and our success and the future of our team first when making decisions in what we do. So it was almost a no-brainer for us. The team needed the investment, and it now has a really bright future under its new owners and you will see the Williams name racing in Formula One.”
Williams and its nine F1 rivals have also signed on to the new commercial agreement with the championship, binding them to it until 2025. Williams said new measures F1 is bringing in over the next couple of years to help balance the competitive order make the next five years an exciting prospect.
“I am really pleased [with] the Concorde Agreement and, most importantly, the financial regulations that are coming through with the cost cap and the redistribution of the prize money. It will make a big difference for teams like ours, and whether the Williams family own it or not, it doesn’t matter.”