New Williams CEO Jost Capito has revealed that he remains in contact with the team’s former deputy team principal Claire Williams and co-founder Patrick Head.
Capito was appointed to the role by Williams owners Dorilton Capital in December following the US-based investment firm’s takeover of the team midway through 2020.
Shortly after the arrival of Dorilton, it was announced that the Williams family would be stepping away from the team.
Speaking ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, the former BMW, Porsche, Sauber, Ford, Volkswagen and McLaren employee admitted that he retained a “very good relationship” with members of the old regime.
Williams left her post as deputy team principal after last year’s Italian Grand Prix, while Head served as technical director for 27 years between 1977 and 2004. He left the team in 2012, but had returned as a consultant during the 2019 campaign.
“I am in contact with both,” Capito said, as reported by Motorsport.com. “With Claire and with Patrick.
“I’ve known Claire for a few years now and Patrick I’ve known for a long time. It’s not that I’m trying to extract background information from them about this or that. We talk about things I want to know, things I need to know. I have a very good relationship with both.”
Discussing the work he has put in since arriving at the Grove-based outfit, Capito emphasised that maintaining the “family” feel that had been cultivated at the team was a priority.
“Since I was unable to attend Grove, I arranged meetings from half an hour to 45 minutes,” he added.
“Meetings via Teams, video calls with all managers. I have now done more than 50 and I have asked everyone the same time and time again. One question was, ‘What should we cherish and why?’ And the answer was invariably – whether new co-workers or people who have been there for a long time – that Williams is all about family, how we treat people, how people are treated, and how we work together.
“I was really happy to hear that from everyone, because that’s my management style. You have to operate as a family. That doesn’t just mean fun times. We all have family and not every day is fun. But it does mean a very strong bond: you do everything for your family.”