It’s been confirmed that Sir Frank Williams and Claire Williams are to leave the Formula 1 fold, closing the chapter on the third oldest team in the category’s history — Williams F1.
It had already been confirmed late last month that private investment firm Dorilton Captial had purchased the team. Matthew Savage, Darren Fultz, and James Matthews form the team’s new board of directors.
“With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport,” said Claire Williams.
“We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind. We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing, so this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.
“We are greatly appreciative of Dorilton’s encouragement to continue, but in them we know the team will be in good hands and the Williams name will live on. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team, but it is the beginning of a new era for Williams Racing and we wish them much success in the future.
“On behalf of Frank and the Williams family, I would like to say how incredibly grateful and humbled we are for the support we have enjoyed over the years, from our friends in the paddock to the many fans around the world. But mostly, we would like to thank our team. People who have worked at Williams in the past and present. They are the true warriors of this team and have made it what it is and we wish them well.
“Formula 1 has been our life for so long and now it’s time for a new chapter in our lives to begin.”
Since its first race at the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix, Williams has competed in 739 Grand Prix events — claiming 114 race wins, nine constructors’ championships, and seven driver’s championships.
