25/03/2021
NEWS STORY
Jost Capito rules out any suggestion of Williams becoming a B-team, insisting that under its new ownership the Grove outfit is determined to remain independent.
While it is unlikely that Williams will be able to do much on track this season to turn its fortunes around - like many opting to focus on next season's seismic rules overhaul - behind the scenes the Grove outfit is beginning to show signs that its new owners, Dorilton Capital, mean business.
In the same way that Zak Brown revitalised McLaren with the recruitment of Andreas Seidl, Williams has turned to proven winners - certainly as far as Volkswagen's WRC team is concerned - in signing Jost Capito and Xavier Demaison.
The Grove outfit has also increased its technical partnership with Mercedes, which from 2022 will see it use the German manufacturer's gearboxes and related hydraulic components to complement the power units it has used throughout the hybrid era.
However, Capito is keen to make clear that the increased partnership with Mercedes should not be seen as Williams settling for a role as a B-team, the German insisting that the sport's most successful British constructor intends to remain independent.
"Our clear objective is to remain an independent team and not being bought by any other team or by an OEM because we see the future in the sport," said the German.
"Williams has always been independent," he continued, "and what we see as A and B teams, for us a B-team is a team that doesn't have an independent ownership, it has some ownership from an OEM or another Formula 1 team.
"By that definition we don't want to be a B-team, we want to be an A-team because racing is our core business and should stay our core business and independent from a manufacturer who decides to be in or out that would challenge our existence."
Capito was also keen to make clear that behind the scenes the team's new owners are putting their money where their mouths are in terms of investment.
"From the infrastructure side there has been a lot done since Dorilton took over," he said. "Since the end of last year there has been a lot invested in infrastructure, for example in machine parts, there are brand new fantastic machines, 3D printing, hardware, software, on the IT structure.
"A lot has been done. We have a fantastic wind tunnel. We have not everything but we have most in place to move up the grid.
"But it is not ‘you put new machines in and turn the switch on and they work properly'," he added, "you have to implement it, you have to calibrate the stuff, then you have to make it work.
"That's why it was important to get the investment in at the end of last year to make it available, working properly, with good results, for the 2022 car."
Check out our Thursday gallery from Bahrain, here.