Williams have announced 26 new signings for their technical team ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. The Grove-based outfit have completed an ambitious recruitment drive that has seen them snatch key personnel from Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, among other teams.
James Vowles has made clear his ambition to restore Williams to World Championship contention, and his latest steps have involved a series of ambitious hires. Chief among them are ‘several’ from Mercedes and Ferrari, as well as four recruits from Red Bull.
Among the Red Bull hires is the new chief engineer of composites and structures, Steve Winstanley, while former Ferrari head of performance analytics Fabrice Moncade has signed on in the role of chief engineer of computing science.
One of the most notable signings is Matt Harman, who signed as design director. He was formerly the technical director at Alpine and worked on five title-winning cars during his stint at Mercedes in the 2010s.
Elsewhere, former principal aerodynamicist at Haas, Juan Molina, has joined Williams in the role of chief aerodynamicist, while Richard Frith is the new head of performance systems.
After the new signings were announced, Vowles said: “I am delighted to welcome these six incredible people to Williams. We are on a mission to fight our way back to the front and being able to attract experienced, Championship-winning talent from other teams demonstrates huge belief in the journey we are on.
“Williams is investing in what it takes to win, and this is just the start as we prepare to welcome more new faces from across the grid in the months ahead.”
Chief technical officer Pat Fry added to these comments, noting: “Williams Racing has bold ambitions and huge momentum, and these exceptional recruits show this is a project people want to be part of. We are adding strength in depth to the enormous talent already at Grove as we build for the future.”
