“Jost is a great guy, so experienced” – George Russell optimistic about Williams under new leadership

“Jost is a great guy, so experienced” – George Russell is hopeful of a strong showing from Williams under its new management led by CEO Jost Capito.

Williams is one of the most successful teams in Formula 1, winning nine Constructors Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships since its entry in the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix. But over the last three years, they have finished bottom, compelling the Williams family to sell off the business to Dorilton Capital. This has led to a significant restructuring in the team, with Simon Roberts taking over as team principal.

But the bigger move saw former Volkswagen director of motorsport Jost Capito join the outfit. Under Capito, Volkswagen won four consecutive manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships in the World Rally Championship between 2013-16. This has pleased George Russell, who is already relishing working with the German.

“Jost is a great guy, so experienced, motivated, and a real breath of fresh air. I think the future of the team is looking really great. Unfortunately, in F1, things don’t change that quickly but I think 2022 is a great opportunity for everybody.

“We have great leadership, we have got the foundations being put in place, we have the financial backing and we can now really start to focus on performance. Unfortunately, in the latter stages of 2019 and 2020, it was all focused on keeping the team alive. It might be another tough year, let’s see, but from 2022 onwards, there is a bright future ahead.”

Williams had a mixed outing in Bahrain, with Russell finishing a decent P14, and Nicholas not managing to finish the race, yet again. The team would be hoping for points in the next race at Imola, Italy.

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