Williams Bolsters Formula 1 Technical Team with Top Hires
In a major recruitment drive, Williams has announced the signing of a host of senior technical staff from rival Formula 1 teams, including the former Alpine Technical Director Matt Harman.
The British racing outfit has brought on board a total of 26 new engineers, with a particular focus on strengthening its aerodynamics and design capabilities. The new hires will report to Williams’ Chief Technical Officer, Pat Fry, who joined the team late last year after leaving the same role at Alpine.
Headlining the list of new recruits is Harman, who resigned from Alpine at the start of the 2024 season, just as the team’s A524 car was struggling to keep pace at the back of the grid. Harman will now take on the role of Design Director at Williams, starting after the summer break.
Joining Harman are four other high-profile technical specialists:
- Fabrice Moncade, the former Head of Performance Analytics at Ferrari, who will become Williams’ Chief Engineer for Computing Science
- Juan Molina, ex-Haas Principal Aerodynamicist, who will be the team’s new Chief Aerodynamicist
- Steve Winstanley, Red Bull’s Chief Designer for Composites and Structures, hired as Chief Engineer for Composites and Structures
- Richard Frith, Alpine’s former Head of Performance, who will become Williams’ Head of Performance Systems in 2025
In addition, Williams has appointed Sorin Cheran, a former Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee, as the team’s new Chief Information and Analytics Officer, tasked with transforming the way the squad acquires, stores and utilizes data.
Commenting on the new hires, Williams Team Principal James Vowles said:
“We are on a mission to fight our way back to the front, and being able to attract experienced, championship-winning talent demonstrates the belief in the journey we are on. This is just the start as we prepare to welcome more new faces in the months ahead.”
The recruitment drive is part of Williams owner Dorilton Capital’s efforts to revive the once-dominant team, which had fallen on hard times in recent years due to underinvestment prior to the 2020 sale. As Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry stated, “Williams has bold ambitions and huge momentum, and these exceptional recruits show this is a project people want to be part of.”
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