Mercedes F1 director Paddy Lowe leaves team to join Williams
Mercedes executive director Paddy Lowe has left the Formula 1 title-winning team, sources have revealed, ahead of an imminent switch to Williams.
As Autosport's sister title Motorsport.com reported before Christmas, Lowe accepted a job offer late last year to join Williams after being won over by the Grove-based F1 outfit's ambitions.
Although Lowe had played an instrumental part in helping Mercedes secure three consecutive double world championships, his future had come in to doubt at the end of his contracted term.
Negotiations with Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff were delayed until after the 2016 campaign finished, but in the end Lowe could not be won over by what was on offer to remain.
It is understood that he informed Mercedes of his decision after returning from Christmas holidays.
Mercedes declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Autosport.com on Tuesday.
The Lowe situation is intriguing because it comes at a time when Mercedes is in discussions with Williams about trying to reach agreement for Valtteri Bottas to move teams.
There have been suggestions that part of an agreement could include Lowe not being forced to take gardening leave and being able to join Williams immediately.
Lowe is expected to take a senior management position at Williams, having long been eager to step up from a pure technical role to actually running a team.
Chief technical officer Pat Symonds left Williams at the end of 2016.
Mercedes is expected to appoint former Ferrari technical director James Allison to replace Lowe, once his period of gardening leave is over.
http://www.autosport...to-join-wiliams
Williams 2017
#1
-
- Members
- 11,330 posts
Posted 10 January 2017 - 12:39
#2
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 07 February 2017 - 21:29
McLaren team manager to join Williams
Dave Redding is leaving his role as McLaren team manager to join Formula 1 rival Williams.
Redding, who has spent the last 17 seasons with McLaren, will be replaced by chief mechanic Paul James.
"We can confirm David Redding is leaving McLaren Racing," a team spokesman told Autosport's sister publication Motorsport.com.
"He will be replaced by Paul James, who will become team manager, with a focus on the operational and managerial nature of the role.
"Our head of race operations Andrea Stella will assume some of the role's sporting responsibilities and engagement with the FIA.
"Kari Lammenranta will replace Paul as our new chief race mechanic."
Redding joined McLaren in 1995 as number one mechanic, having entered F1 with Benetton seven years earlier.
After two seasons with the Woking-based outfit, he left to help set up Stewart Grand Prix but returned to McLaren in 2000.
Redding joined the team's engineering department, working as a systems engineer before assuming the role of assistant race engineer alongside Phil Prew.
After a stint focusing on engineering the third car at races, Redding switched his attention operational aspects in 2009.
#3
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 16 February 2017 - 15:59
Ovo je zlatno, Vilijamsova posada + Alonso circa kraj 2009 ili početak 2010
#4
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 16 February 2017 - 16:44
Dirk De Beer, who followed James Allison from Lotus to Ferrari, joins @WilliamsRacing as head of aerodynamics
#5
-
- Members
- 17,335 posts
Posted 17 February 2017 - 10:06
The team's FW40 – named in recognition of its 40th anniversary – is the first car designed to F1's new rules for this season to be revealed.
Hints of what to expect from this year's rules came from last year's Pirelli testing – using modified 2015 cars from Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – and last month when Manor team members posed with its 2017 windtunnel model following the closure of the team.
However, the Williams offers the first full picture of a new design, with the most striking difference being the reshaped rear wing similar to the design Ferrari added to its Pirelli test car.
At the front of the car, the thumb-tip nose design that first became a feature of some cars in 2014 remains, with Williams's solution very similar to the set-up it used in 2015-16.
The British team starts this season with rookie Lance Stroll alongside Felipe Massa, who reversed his decision to retire from F1 when Valtteri Bottas was signed by Mercedes to replace world champion Nico Rosberg.
#6
-
- Members
- 4,995 posts
Posted 17 February 2017 - 22:17
#7
-
- Members
- 21,862 posts
Posted 17 February 2017 - 22:22
Prelepo izgleda. Svidjaju mi se ove nove proporcije.
ja nisam nesto preterano odusevljen, ocekivao sam vise. Mada, povecana sirina i deblje gume je definitivno za +1 
#9
-
- Members
- 21,862 posts
Posted 26 February 2017 - 00:44
@Alen - teaser = tizer, taser = tejzer.
Tejzer je ovo:
Sto se tice Vilijamsa, bolid izgleda znacajno drugacije od onih rendera koji su pusteni pre nekol'ko dana. Mada mi je i dalje utisak bled, uz Zauber mi deluje kao najotaljaniji bolid do sada. Cak su i oni Manorovi modeli za vazdusni tunel delovali kao da su im vise paznje poklonili.
No, videcemo na stazi. Mozda je manje zaista vise.
#10
-
- Members
- 631 posts
Posted 26 February 2017 - 08:44
Ajde da nam bude sa srecom. Meni ovo peraje izgleda kao zid iz profila. 
#11
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 27 February 2017 - 16:43
Vilijams testira duplo T krilo
#12
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 06 March 2017 - 17:05
Williams and Bombardier announce new partnership
WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING and Bombardier Business Aircraft are proud to announce a new strategic partnership ahead of the 2017 season, with the Canadian company coming on board this season in support of fellow countryman Lance Stroll, as he prepares for his debut season in Formula One.
As part of the partnership agreement, Bombardier branding will appear on Lance Stroll’s helmet and throughout the garage environment.
Bombardier’s heritage of innovation and fine craftsmanship brings together more than 50 years of aviation history through its comprehensive line of business jets, including Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft. Through innovative technologies, Bombardier’s world-class business aircraft elevate the private jet experience, delivering unrivaled performance and a smooth ride, while combining luxury and craftsmanship with engineering for the ultimate in cabin comfort.
Bombardier’s engineering commitment is at the forefront of sustainable transport. Its brand is reminiscent of Williams’ engineering ethos and continued drive to push boundaries and achieve excellence through innovative and sustainable technology.
“Bombardier is pleased to partner with Lance Stroll and the Williams team during the 2017 Formula One Grand Prix season. This partnership provides Bombardier Business Aircraft a unique opportunity to reach new customers on a global scale,” said Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Lance’s bold and stellar achievements on the race track personify his pursuit of excellence just as Bombardier’s high-performing business aircraft take private aviation to the next level. We wish Lance the same smooth ride throughout the 2017 season that our customers count on, aboard more than 4,700 Bombardier business aircraft worldwide.”
Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal added: “We are delighted to welcome Bombardier as a partner for the 2017 season. Engineering excellence, innovation and sustainability are at the core of everything we do at Williams, and as one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of world-class business jets, Bombardier share similar core values. They are leaders in their field and at Williams, we share a similar drive and determination to be the best. I look forward to a successful partnership going forward.”
#13
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 22 March 2017 - 14:11
Despite a change of working environment, Williams' new tech boss Paddy Lowe won't feel surrounded by unfamiliar faces in Melbourne.
Lowe is already acquainted with most of his new colleagues and team members, some of which were already at Williams when the 54-year-old engineer enjoyed his first spell there two decades ago.
So it will be business as usual this weekend albeit with a dose of thrill and excitement always associated with a "back to school" day.
"I’m very happy to be back at Williams, the team where I started my Formula One career," Lowe says.
"We have a very talented group of people here and two great drivers with whom I haven’t worked before, so I’m looking forward to stepping into the paddock with them in Melbourne to start the 2017 season.
"Coming back to the paddock has that feeling of being “back to school” after our winter away: everybody energised for the new season ahead, meeting friends again and welcoming new faces."
Despite his years in F1, Lowe admits it's always a special moment when cars head out onto the track for the year's first "quali".
"I always feel that the first qualifying session of the year is the most intense and interesting hour in the entire Formula One calendar, as that is the point when all the smoke and mirrors of winter testing must stop and the real pace is finally put on the table.
" It is only then that we will see how the cars and drivers perform and get our first true indication of the season which will unfold."
Given the impact of F1's new regulations, lap times are sure to fall at Albert Park this year, but Lowe will also be attentive to how his drivers hold up behind the wheel of the physically demanding new cars.
"The race itself is always eventful with more than the usual degree of incident and car failure as the cars and drivers engage in their first competition of the year.
"And the spectators bring extra enthusiasm to Albert Park, many of them having come from all over the world to see this first race of the F1 season.
"From a technical point of view, the tyres for this year’s race are not only wider but also softer - having the ultrasoft in play at Melbourne for the first time - so we will without doubt see some record breaking lap times this weekend and perhaps more evidence of driver fatigue in the race than we have seen in recent years."
#14
-
- Members
- 11,330 posts
Posted 05 April 2017 - 18:43
The Williams Group has announced its financial results from 2016, showing not only a significant profit increase within the race team itself but the whole company including Williams Advanced Engineering.
Being the only team on the grid that is fully listed on the stock market, the team is required to make its financial results public.
In 2015, the Williams Group made a revenue of £125.6m, where in 2016 this had increased to £167.4m.
The grand prix outfit also generated a £15.5m increase from £101.5m in 2015 to £116.7m in 2016, showing that the company is moving from strength to strength through significant rebuilding in recent years.
#15
-
- Members
- 4,593 posts
Posted 01 June 2017 - 12:59
Do sad smo videli puno različitih vozila s Martini livrejem i sva izgledaju prelepo, al ovo nisam očekivao u tim bojama (sve u sklopu sponzorstva s JCBom)
