F1 News: Williams Chief Confirms 'Number Of Really Great Signings' To Be Announced Imminently

Williams F1 team principal James Vowles has announced that several prominent figures in motorsport will soon join the team to enhance its technical and aerodynamics capabilities.

James Vowles - Williams Racing / Williams Racing Press Image

Williams team principal James Vowles has hinted that a series of significant new hires in the team's technical and aerodynamics departments will soon be revealed. Taking the helm in early 2023, Vowles has embarked on an ambitious mission to revitalize the iconic Formula 1 team with a significant reorganization aimed at boosting its competitive edge.

During the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Vowles shared insights into the recruiting process that has landed approximately 20 to 30 highly accomplished professionals in motorsports. These imminent announcements, he notes, will introduce big names to the team that are familiar faces within the Formula 1 circuit. He commented to Formula 1:

“[The recruiting process has been] very good. We’re not yet, unfortunately, in a position to announce these, but when we do start to announce who we have signed, they’re going to see big names recognised by a lot of people, across our technical organisation, across our aerodynamic organisation."

The recruitment spree began with the high-profile signing of Pat Fry as Chief Technical Officer in November 2023, a seasoned expert from stints with Ferrari, McLaren, and Alpine. Vowles continued:

“And not small numbers. I think we’re at about 20, 30 people now that have huge accolades in the sport and will contribute towards the success of Williams. We’re in a good position – it’s going the way I’d like it to.

“It’s always slower than you’d like it to [be] – you’d like people through the door tomorrow. But what I’ve done is made sure we wait for the right people, and then sign them and bring them in.”

Moreover, these developments coincide with Williams' forward-looking driver strategy, notably through the recent contract extension of Alex Albon through 2026 and an interest in Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. 

Vowles' efforts to attract top driving talent indicate a confident stride toward making Williams a formidable competitor on the track again.

“There’s a reason why I left Mercedes to come here,” he told Sky Sports F1. “This isn’t the Williams of old, and I think first and foremost the fact that we are having Sainz on our list will certainly show you that this isn’t how we’ve performed of late.

“We are prepared to have a driver line-up that I think is going to be one of the best on the grid, if it’s achieved, and that’s a different era that we’re going into. We’re investing tens if not hundreds of millions to [take] this team back to where it was in terms of success.

“There is, in the background, a number of really great signings that will slowly start edging out into the world. But this really is a good journey where we’re now starting to see the hard work that started 12 months ago come into play, and that gives me every reason to be confident that we’re moving forward.

“We were a team that were 10th [in the standings] for many years… Yes, last year we were seventh and we started this year poorly, [but] keep an eye out for us. We’re now starting to put performance to the car race by race, and this is a different entity to what it was before.”