Simon Roberts: Who is the new acting team principal of Williams?

Simon Roberts: Who is the new acting team principal of Williams, who will handle the team upon the departure of the Williams family.

The Italian Grand Prix marked the end of Williams family in the sport, as the team was acquired by Dorilton Capital this summer and Claire Williams along with her father Frank Williams decided to step down from their duties forever.

Now, it has been confirmed by Williams that Simon Roberts will take charge of the team with the immediate effect after the exit of Claire Williams from the team.

“It is an exciting time ahead for the team, a new era for Williams and one that I am excited to be playing a part in. I look forward to the challenge ahead as we look to take the team back to the front of the grid.”#WeAreWilliams 💙

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) September 8, 2020

“It is an exciting time ahead for the team, a new era for Williams and one that I am excited to be playing a part in,” said Roberts. “I look forward to the challenge ahead as we look to take the team back to the front of the grid.”

Williams also announced today CEO Mike O’Driscoll will retire following the completion of the team’s transition under Dorilton. “It has been and remains a huge privilege to be part of this great team,” said O’Driscoll.

“I am proud to have played my part in securing the long-term future of Williams and look forward to working closely with Matthew [Savage, team chairman] and his team, to ensure a smooth transition and the best possible trajectory for the team’s future success.”

Who is Simon Roberts?

Roberts joined Williams in May from McLaren as their managing director with responsibility for their technical, operations and planning divisions.

Also read: “Thank you Claire and Frank Williams”- George Russell gives heartfelt message to Williams family after Italian GP

He spent 17 years with McLaren and a year in between was seconded to Force India. In McLaren, he raised to prominence to become the chief operating officer at the time of his departure.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

Read More