Formula 1 News: Williams Revamps Technical Staff with High-Profile Hires from Rival Teams
In a significant move to bolster its technical capabilities, Williams has announced the signing of a slew of senior technical staff from rival Formula 1 teams, including former Alpine technical director Matt Harman. This major recruitment drive sees 26 new engineers joining the team, with a specific focus on strengthening its aerodynamics and design offices.
The new recruits will report to Williams‘s chief technical officer Pat Fry, who joined the team last November from Alpine. Fry’s experience and expertise are expected to play a crucial role in the team’s resurgence.
Harman, who resigned from Alpine at the beginning of the 2024 campaign, will take on the role of design director at Williams and start working for his new team after the 2024 summer break. This appointment is a significant coup for Williams, given Harman’s experience and knowledge in the field.
The other four top technical hires are:
- Fabrice Moncade, former Ferrari head of performance analytics, who will become Williams‘s chief engineer, computing science;
- Juan Molina, ex-Haas principal aerodynamicist, who will take on the role of chief aerodynamicist;
- Steve Winstanley, Red Bull‘s chief designer (composites and structures), who will lead the transformation of the structures department within the design office;
- Richard Frith, Alpine‘s former head of performance, who will become Williams‘s head of performance systems in 2025.
Additionally, Williams has appointed ex-Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee Sorin Cheran as its new chief information and analytics officer (CIAO). Cheran’s brief is to lead a transformation of how the team acquires, stores, indexes, and uses data to build a best-in-class technology operation.
This recruitment drive follows the revelation earlier this year that Williams was using a gigantic Excel spreadsheet to plan its new car builds, a process that stunned team principal James Vowles and Fry. The new appointments are a clear indication of the team’s commitment to investing in its technical capabilities and returning to the top of the Formula 1 standings.
“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,” Vowles expressed.
Fry echoed Vowles’s sentiments, stating, “Williams 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.”
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