Williams Chief Operations Engineer, Mark Gillan, has left the team in order to spend more time with his family.

The Ulsterman, who only joined the Grove outfit in 2011, leaves the team after one of its best seasons in recent times, having finished eighth in the Constructors' Championship and scored its first win since 2004.

After a career in aerospace, and having achieved first-class honours in Aeronautical Engineering at the Queen's University of Belfast, Gillan joined McLaren in 1998 as Principal Operational Aerodynamicist.

In 2002 he moved to Jaguar Racing where he enjoyed roles as Aerodynamics Performance Leader, Head of Vehicle Performance and Chief Engineer before leaving the sport for a spell at the University of Surrey as Chair in Aerospace Engineering.

In 2007 he joined Toyota Motorsport as Head of Aerodynamics and when it closed down its F1 operation he returned to the University of Surrey whilst also setting up his own consulting company.

In late 2011, following its worst season in living memory, Gillan was recruited by Williams as the team attempted to reverse its downward spiral.

Officially Gillan is on gardening leave until the end of the year although it is understood he is no longer at the team's factory.