End of an era as Claire Williams to leave F1

London — Claire Williams, Formula One’s only female team boss, will step down after Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix following the sale to US-based Dorilton Capital, the former champions announced on Thursday.

Williams, officially the deputy to her 78-year-old father Frank, who no longer attends races and is also leaving, effectively ran the British-based team, the sale of which was announced in August.

The once-dominant but now-struggling team, which has not won a grand prix since 2012 and are currently last and without a point, will continue to race under the Williams name.

The family’s departure marks the end of an era after 43 years and 739 grands prix.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am stepping away from my role with the team,” Claire Williams, who took over day-to-day running of the team in 2013, said in a statement. “I had hoped to continue my tenure long into the future and to preserve the Williams family’s legacy into the next generation.”

Williams said she had taken the decision to go “to allow Dorilton a fresh start” and to spend more time with her family.

“It has not been an easy decision but it’s one I believe to be right for all involved,” she said. “I have loved every minute and will be forever grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But it’s also an incredibly challenging sport and I now want to see what else the world holds for me.”

Williams has spoken in the past of the responsibility she felt. Two years ago she said she wondered every day whether she was the right person to be in charge.

A champion for gender diversity in F1, Williams appointed female drivers Susie Wolff — now running the Venturi Formula E team — and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick to development roles.

Williams are the third most successful constructor in the sport’s history, with 114 wins and 16 titles, but their last championship was with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.

Founded in 1977 as Williams Grand Prix Engineering, the team was at its peak in the 1980s and 1990s with champions Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Villeneuve.

“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,” said Claire Williams. “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 we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.” 

Reuters