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Williams, the fourth team in the Formula 1 World Championship in number of driver titles (seven) and the second in the statistics reserved for the constructors (nine), will no longer belong to the family that baptized him with his name, led by the fireproof Frank, who a few years ago gave way to Claire, his daughter. In a note sent this Friday at noon, the Grove (Oxfordshire) structure announced that it had been acquired by Dorilton Capital, a private North American investment fund involved in sectors such as health, engineering and the manufacture of industrial components, which, at least From the outset, it does not intend to change the initials of identity or the headquarters of one of the teams with the most history of the contest. This is the culmination of an operation that was seen to come since last May, when the British company announced its intention to sell part or all of its shares.
"When we started this probing process, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same passion and values that we have, who recognized the potential of the team and who could exploit its strength," Claire Williams said in the statement. “At Dorilton we have found exactly that; people who understand sport and what it takes to be successful. People who know how to respect our legacy and who will do everything possible to ensure success in the future ”, adds who until now was the head of the structure. "This may be the end of the Williams era as a family team, but at the same time we know that it falls into good hands and that its survival will be assured," the executive emphasizes.
Williams, one of the benchmarks on the grid in the 1980s and 1990s, had long been reeling in a championship that has no compassion for any formation that lacks a reinforced concrete foundation. Much less in a time when, in addition, there have been to deal with inactivity and setbacks caused by the coronavirus. All that, without the sports arm working, is practically impossible today. Williams finished the last two years as the red lantern of the table, with a single point in 2019, achieved by Robert Kubica, who crossed the line tenth in the German Grand Prix. The balance sheets of the 2019 holding company presented losses of almost 14.5 million euros, when in 2018 it had obtained profits of 14 million euros. The F1 division, for its part, went from entering 145 million euros in 2018 to about 106 million last season.
“We are delighted to have invested in Williams, and excited about the business prospects presented to us. We believe that we are the ideal partner due to our flexible and patient investment style, which will allow the team to focus on its goal of returning to the front positions of the grid, ”agreed Matthew Savage, President of Dorilton Capital . "Our intention is to start working with the Williams team on a business review strategy, in order to determine the areas that require investment," closes Savage.