Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams says the Grove-base outfit is aiming to complete its sale process within the coming months, securing the long-term future for a team which has found itself mired among the backmarkers in recent seasons.
On Friday Williams announced the immediate departure of title sponsor ROKiT and simultaneously declared the reassessment of their sporting operations in a bid to entice a new financial investor to ensure the longevity of nine-time world champions.
In an interview with Autosport, Williams said the team is targeting for the process conclude by the end of the British Summer.
“We haven’t put a timeframe on this process, but we want to complete it within the next three to four months.
“We like to do things fast in F1, don’t we? And we feel that we can achieve it in that timeframe.
“But we are fully funded throughout the remainder of this year to continue racing as and when we can go back to the circuit.”
Sighting Williams significant fall in funding amid their recent slump in the constructor standings, coupled by the inevitable economical aftershocks as the sport begins to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, there are persistent rumours that the team is strongly considering a complete sale process.
Consequently, a complete sale could risk seeing the Williams Racing name wiped from the F1 pitlane for the first time since 1977.
While that path would go against the mentality of the team’s eponymous founder Sir Frank Williams, daughter Claire admits the process has seen more critical needs taken top priority.
“This is not about the Williams family, and putting Williams up for sale,” said Williams.
“This is about trying to secure the future of our team.
“What Frank has always done is to ensure that he puts the team, the business and our people first. And that’s what we’re doing now.
“One of the main reasons that we’re doing this is to attract inward investment into the team, in order that we can firstly capitalise on the new regulations that are coming forward in 2021 and put this team in the best possible position to be successful.
“At the end of the day, that’s all that matters to us.”
Williams are expected to unveil a new livery for the approaching truncated season over the coming days.
From there the team will begin preparations for the likely season-opening round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria in early July.
