Williams’ ongoing search for new investment should only be seen as positive for the team going forward, Claire Williams says.
Last week, one of Formula 1’s best-ever independent outfits confirmed they had begun a “formal sale process” which opened the door to not only new investors but potentially a full takeover.
This came after the Williams GP Holdings company posted a loss of 13m for the past year as a result of a substantial reduction in revenue, while the outlook is bleaker still due to the impact of the coronavirus.
Commenting on the decision to potentially relinquish control, however, Williams insists this shouldn’t be seen as the death of her family’s team.
“It’s funny – I’ve been getting so many emails of condolence,” she told Sky Sports’ The F1 Show. “It’s much appreciated, but I’m looking at this in a really positive perspective as this will ensure the future sustainability of our team.
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“Williams, the Williams family, has always been about that. We put our team first, and we put its success first. The investment that we’re looking for is going to help us achieve that.
“So for me, this is a good thing that we’re doing and it shouldn’t be looked at in a negative way, in a disappointing way or anything other than a positive. The people at Williams understand that and I think they’re excited.
“This can potentially give us a very positive future.”
Indeed, if new investors can put the Grove-based outfit back onto a more secure financial footing, Williams believes her team can rise from the ashes, where it has been the past two seasons.
“I’ve always had a very clear ambition for Williams as deputy team principal and as part of the family,” she stated.
“We had a few great years, and then a few very, very awful ones in which we’ve all felt an enormous amount of pain. That’s why this investment is so important and can give us the funding to achieve our ambitions.
“I see no reason why Williams can’t be successful again and can’t get it back to where we all really want to see it – that’s at the higher end of the grid and doing well in every Grand Prix.
“My ambition for Williams will always be that this team returns to the top of the podium.”
And already, there are signs of progress being made in that search for new funds after veteran F1 paddock figure Peter Windsor revealed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had purchased a five per cent stake in Williams.
The Austrian has been affiliated with the team before, previously holding a 30 per cent stake and holding the role of executive director in 2012.
He would later sell that stake after moving to Mercedes the following year, but this small reinvestment also comes after Wolff purchased a stake in Aston Martin, who will return to the F1 grid in 2021 via the team currently known as Racing Point.