Williams continues its recruitment of engineers
As the driver transfer market is nearing its end, Williams continues to focus on the engineers'. Three engineers from rival teams have just joined its ranks.
Last month, the Grove team announced the arrival of two new recruits in its aerodynamics department, its weak point during the last campaign. Today, it is strengthening its operational part.
Thus, Jakob Andreasen arrives from Sahara Force India to lead engineering operations. Behind this description lies the structure that optimizes the transmission of information between the trackside and the factory.
This is an essential component in an F1 team because the track is the only judge of peace and can challenge the estimates made in the factory. This is what led Ferrari to completely redo its wind tunnel since the data its engineers saw there was not corroborated by the data on the track.
Jakob Andreasen will be assisted in his new role by two other recruits. Craig Wilson has decided to return to Claire Williams’ team after a stint with Mercedes. He will take on the role of Head of Vehicle Dynamics. This involves modeling and analyzing the cars to improve on-track performance.
Lotus loses another element of its structure, with the departure of Rob Nelson. He becomes the new chief test engineer. His role is to lead the team, based at the factory, responsible for assisting the race team at the Grand Prix.
But the team is also relying on internal promotion to strengthen itself, as it has decided to promote Max Nightingale, who will report directly to Jakob Andreasen. He will be responsible for the emphasis on performance within the new structure. Pat Symonds, Williams’ Technical Director, commented on this mix of recruitment and internal promotion: Williams is determined to make significant improvements in its competitiveness over the next seasons, and these appointments continue our aggressive approach to recruiting some of the best talents in the sport. We are also committed to allowing our current talents to grow and demonstrate their abilities in positions of responsibility. Our engineering team for the upcoming seasons looks strong and I am excited that we can move forward.
On the other hand, the team has still not officially announced that Rob Smedley, Felipe Massa’s race engineer at Ferrari, would be joining their ranks.
With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr
