Williams targeting ‘next level’ as former McLaren insider joins in latest signing spree

James Vowles says Williams is targeting “the next level” after the signing of four new recruits including former McLaren man Piers Thynne.

Williams confirmed the signing of Thynne ahead of last month’s Canadian Grand Prix as the team continues its recovery from a slow start to the F1 2026 season.

Williams targeting ‘next level’ as former McLaren man joins

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Thynne left McLaren in January after playing an instrumental role in the team’s impressive turnaround, which saw the Woking outfit claim consecutive constructors’ titles in 2024/25 as well as the drivers’ championship with Lando Norris last year.

He will start work with his new team in August, with Thynne’s appointment intended to ‘lead and transform manufacturing operations at the team in pursuit of long-term success’ after his impact on the ‘the operational and cultural transformation’ of McLaren.

Williams has also completed the signings from Mercedes of Claire Simpson, who will take the role of head of aerodynamic development, and Fred Judd, who becomes head of performance optimisation.

The pair previously worked alongside Williams team principal James Vowles at Mercedes, with Simpson and Judd spending 12 and 17 years respectively at the Brackley team.

Steve Booth has also joined Williams as head of vehicle engineering after more than 20 years with the Alpine team.

In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com by Williams, Vowles said: “I am thrilled to be welcoming Piers to Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we continue investing in the people, processes and technology to compete at the front in Formula 1.

“We are clear in our ambition to build a team that can win world championships and Piers has unrivalled recent experience in doing exactly that.

“I am also delighted to welcome Claire, Fred and Steve – we are attracting extremely talented strategic recruits from throughout the paddock who will add to the foundations we have already put in place over the past few years and help take us to the next level.”

Thynne added: “I am delighted to be joining Atlassian Williams F1 Team at what is a really exciting moment.

“Williams has clear ambition to be championship level in all areas and set new standards in the sport and I can’t wait to play my part in that as a member of the senior leadership group.

“I have enjoyed a fantastic time at McLaren, helping bring the team back to the top, and hope we will be able to do the same at Williams.”

Carlos Sainz vs Alex Albon: Williams head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season

F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates

F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates

Williams is recovering from a slow start to F1 2026 having fallen short of its own expectations under the new regulations so far.

The team has been on the back foot since missing the shakedown test in Barcelona at the end of January due to development delays with the FW48 car, which started the season overweight.

The Grove-based outfit scored just two points across the opening three races of the season, but has improved noticeably over recent weeks.

Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finished ninth and 10th respectively in Miami last month, with the Spaniard matching the result in Canada.

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