Claire Williams Tag

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Williams Racing has announced that W Series standout Jamie Chadwick has signed with the team and will take up the role as its development driver. The 21-year-old Brit will be integrated with the Grove-based outfit trackside for three events throughout the 2019 season, starting with the British Grand Prix. In addition to her media and marketing obligations, she will put it extensive simulator work at the factory. “It is a great honor to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy,” Chadwick said. “The time in the simulatorRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The comeback trail has come full circle for Robert Kubica, who was announced Thursday that he’ll join Williams Racing for the 2019 Formula One campaign, and will be back on the main grid for the first time since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Kubica, 33, will be partnered up with F2 star and current Mercedes-AMG Petronas test driver George Russell, who’s 13 years his junior as part of a new driver direction for the team that’s under-performed all season. “Firstly, I would like to thankRead More

Williams Racing is pleased to confirm George Russell’s appointment to a race seat from the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship with a multi-year agreement. The 20-year-old British racing driver will make his Formula One race debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix and joins Williams with an impressive racing résumé. Following a successful start to his career in karting, George stepped in to single seater racing in 2014, winning the BRDC Formula 4 Championship at his first attempt as well as becoming the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner. GeorgeRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Williams title sponsor Martini will end its association with the team and Formula One at the end of the 2018 season according to a Team Principal Claire Williams, who confirmed the news today from the pit lane in Barcelona. Martini made its much celebrated return to Formula One with the British team in 2014 and since then they have enjoyed massive returns on their investment, and helped create one of the best liveries in recent history. It was the first time Martini’s iconic stripes had been seenRead More

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING is pleased to announce that Oliver Rowland will join the team as its Official Young Driver for the 2018 Formula One season. Oliver will assist the team with simulator work at the Williams factory in Grove, and will drive the FW41 in the Young Driver Test. Oliver finished third in last year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship, taking race wins in Monaco and Hungary, as well as a total of 10 podium finishes. In the same year, he was appointed as Renault Sport F1’s Development Driver, which includedRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer He may not have won the second seat at Williams Martini Racing, but Robert Kubica will still be behind the wheel for the team in 2018. Williams announced Tuesday the addition of Kubica as a reserve and development driver, signaling that the Pole will participate with the team in testing sessions – including the upcoming Barcelona pre-season testing – as well as occasional practice sessions during race weekends. “I am delighted to announce that Robert will be joining Williams as our Reserve and Development DriverRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After two seasons with regular podiums, Williams Martini Racing slipped behind Force India last year for a disappointing fifth in the Constructor’s standings. A turbulent off season saw them lose Valtteri Bottas to Mercedes after Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement. This caused an awkward exchange when the team immediately called veteran Felipe Massa out of retirement. The affable Brazilian agreed and he leads Williams for at least one more season. He is joined by Canadian rookie Lance Stroll, who won blitzed last year’s European F3 Championship andRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Williams has announced that it has signed former Ferrari chief aerodynamicist Dirk de Beer to be its head of aerodynamics ahead of the 2017 Formula 1 season. His time at Ferrari began in 2013, but de Beer revealed plans to leave Maranello last year and will now begin work with Williams on March 1. With time spent at Renault – then known as Lotus F1 – under the position of head of aerodynamics, he enjoyed his debut into the sport with Sauber following a stint workingRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Williams officially announced Felipe Massa is re-joining the team for the 2017 Formula 1 season. The 35-year-Brazilian’s return means that he will team alongside incoming rookie driver Lance Stroll, with Valtteri Bottas released to join Mercedes – also on a one year deal. Massa announced his retirement from F1 at the end of the 2016, but the shocking retirement of reigning world champion Nico Rosberg just days after winning the title opened up negotiations between Mercedes and Williams in an attempt to bring on Bottas. WilliamsRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Mercedes released a statement today confirming the widely held belief that their technical chief Paddy Lowe is leaving the team he helped steer to three consecutive championships. As we first reported one month ago, Lowe is bound for Williams, but contractual and financial negotiations have been complicated by Valtteri Bottas’ talks with Mercedes over Nico Rosberg’s vacated seat, and Felipe Massa’s potential return to the Grove based squad. Such news formally coming to light indicates that some manner of solution has been found at the crowded negotiation tableRead More