Tuscan Grand Prix – Williams have confirmed Simon Roberts will take over Claire Williams’ role as Team Principal in an interim capacity.
Williams F1 Team have confirmed that Simon Roberts will become Acting Team Principal for the Tuscan Grand Prix this weekend, and will hold the role in an interim capacity. He’ll serve as the immediate replacement for Claire Williams, following her departure from the team and the company after the Italian Grand Prix.
Roberts is an F1 stalwart, having begun working with McLaren in 2003 as Operations Director. He joined Force India in 2009 as Chief Operating Officer alongside Otmar Szafnauer, and had responsibility for all team operations.
He returned to McLaren in 2010 as Operations Director and became Chief Operations Officer in 2017. He switched to Williams in early 2020 as Managing Director with responsibility for the Technical, Operations and Planning departments.
“I am delighted to be announced as Acting Team Principal for Williams during this transitional period.” said Roberts of the announcement. “It is an exciting time ahead for the team, a new era for Williams and one that I am excited to be playing a part in. I look forward to the challenge ahead as we look to take the team back to the front of the grid.”
It’s not yet clear whether, long-term, Williams are looking elsewhere to fill the Team Principal role, or might seek to promote from within. It’s entirely possible that Roberts could settle into the role as new owners Dorilton Capital seek to find stability going forward with the influence of the Williams’ family set to fade away.
On Tuesday, the company also confirmed that Mike O’Driscoll is to retire. The 64 year old was part of the former Board of Directors alongside Claire and Sir Frank Williams, and acted as CEO for the team.
“It has been and remains a huge privilege to be part of this great team.” said O’Driscoll, who will stay on for a while to ensure a smooth transition to the new Dorilton-led Board. “I am proud to have played my part in securing the long-term future of Williams and look forward to working closely with Matthew and his team, to ensure a smooth transition and the best possible trajectory for the team’s future success.”
New Chairman of Williams and of Dorilton Capital, Matthew Savage, thanked O’Driscoll for his contributions over the years: “Mike has made a huge contribution as CEO, working alongside the Williams family since the IPO in 2011. He has steered the corporate side of the group admirably through challenging times and has been invaluable in preparing Williams for the next exciting phase.”
