28/07/2023
NEWS STORY
Hours after Alpine announced his departure, Williams has confirmed the appointment of Pat Fry as the team's new chief technical officer.
With an illustrious career spanning over three decades in the motorsport industry, Fry brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role, further strengthening the team's technical leadership. He will begin his role on 1 November 2023.
Born in Surrey, Fry began his Formula 1 journey in 1987 and, since then, he has held senior engineering positions at some of the sport's most prestigious teams, including McLaren and Ferrari.
Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in achieving numerous successes and contributing to multiple race and championship victories.
During his time at McLaren, which spanned 17 years, Fry made significant contributions to the team's success. He was instrumental in securing 66 Grand Prix wins, one Constructors' Championship victory, and three Drivers' Championships.
Starting as a race engineer on the test team developing active suspension, his talents were quickly recognised, leading him to hold various positions within the team, including the role of chief engineer and race engineering positions with Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.
In 2010, he embarked on a new chapter in his career, joining Ferrari as assistant technical director. Over the years, he took on crucial roles such as head of race tTrack engineering, director of chassis, and director of engineering at the Maranello-based team.
After a short break, he returned to Formula 1 in 2016 as an engineering consultant for Manor Racing before temporarily rejoining McLaren as engineering director on a contract basis in 2018. His technical acumen and leadership contributed to McLaren's notable fourth-place finish in the constructor's battle, the team's best championship result since 2012.
In February 2020, he joined Alpine as chassis technical director, then assumed the position of chief technical officer in February 2022. In this capacity, he oversaw all technical activities at the Enstone-based team.
Now, he is poised to bring his wealth of knowledge and expertise to Williams, commencing his role as chief technical officer later this year.
"On behalf of all at Williams Racing, I'm delighted to be welcoming Pat," said James Vowles. "His knowledge and experience will further strengthen the team's technical capabilities and pursuit of excellence as we build the next chapter of Williams.
"Pat has been a core part of winning teams throughout his career, he is one of the most respected experts in our industry and I'm excited to begin work with him when he joins in November."
"I am thrilled to be joining Williams as chief technical officer," said Fry. "The team has a rich heritage in Formula 1, and I am excited to contribute to its future success. I believe in the team's potential and, together, we will strive for excellence on and off the track."
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