Williams appoints ex-VW man Demaison as technical director
Williams has appointed renowned WRC project leader Francois-Xavier Demaison as the new technical director of its Formula 1 team.
Demaison arrives at Williams after a decade-long spell at Volkswagen Motorsport, where he helped develop the ground-breaking I.D.R electric car that achieved multiple records at Pikes Peak and the Nurburgring.
He was also responsible for the WRC Polo C car that won the rally titles from 2013 and 2016. During that time he forged a close alliance with then VW motorsport boss Jost Capito, who is now Williams CEO.
The Frenchman, who is more commonly known as FX, has also had spells at Peugeot, Subaru and Citroen during a lengthy engineering career. Capito said that Demaison's hiring was great news for Williams as it embarks on a new era under the ownership of Dorilton Capital.
"We are delighted to welcome FX to the team," said Capito. "I have seen his technical capabilities first-hand, and his sporting successes speak for themselves. Bringing in someone of his calibre to our already experienced technical team will help drive the future direction of our operation and strengthen our team.
"I have no doubt that his knowledge will contribute to us taking another important step towards our ambitions of winning again. At Williams we have an exciting challenge ahead of us, and I look forward to seeing FX contribute as we continue on this journey."
Williams has not had a formal technical director since the departure of Paddy Lowe ahead of the start of the 2019 season. Lowe's former duties had been spread out among a number of senior technical staff.
Demaison said he was embracing the opportunity at Williams, as the team heads in to the 2021 campaign aiming to move off the bottom of the constructors' championship table.
"I am really looking forward to joining Williams Racing, as they begin an exciting journey to turn their performance around," he said.
"It's going to be a great challenge, but one that I am eager to start. They have a great team of talented people, and I hope I can work with them and the senior management team to help carve out a direction for the future, to help the team achieve its ambitions."
Related video
Previous article
AlphaTauri F1 in much better shape than last year - Gasly
Next article
Russell replaces Grosjean as GPDA director
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Williams |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke
Pierre Gasly has driven superbly since demotion from Red Bull in 2019, but the team formerly known as Toro Rosso has come on strong too – building a car that can often challenge Ferrari and McLaren. Here Gasly reveals to ALEX KALINAUCKAS how AlphaTauri has given him the tools needed to rebuild his reputation
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to Stuart Codling, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion.
How long can Verstappen and Hamilton keep it clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But how long will their battle remain clean? Jonathan Noble ponders that exact point
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button.
How Red Bull's deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The Barcelona practice times that prove Red Bull has hidden pace
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Friday practice for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, but there was one major encouraging sign for Red Bull. However, making good on that gain will require Max Verstappen to avoid repeating a mistake that left him well down the FP2 order...
