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By Reuters 
6h ago
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON – Claire Williams, Formula One’s sole crew chief, will step down after Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix and following the sale to US-based Dorilton Capital, the former champions announced Thursday.
Williams, officially the understudy for her 78-year-old father Frank, who no longer attends races and is also leaving, effectively led the Britain-based team whose sale was announced last month.
The once dominant but now struggling team that hasn’t won a grand prix since 2012 and is currently the last and without a point will continue to race under the Williams name.
The family’s departure marks the end of an era after 43 years and 739 Grands Prix.
“It is with great regret that I am stepping away from my role on the team,” Claire Williams, who took over the day-to-day running of the team in 2013, said in a statement.
“I was hopeful to continue my tenure in the future and preserve the legacy of the Williams family for the next generation.”
Williams, 44, said she had made the decision to go “to allow Dorilton a fresh start” and spend more time with her family.
“It has not been an easy decision, but I think it is suitable for everyone involved,” he added.
“I have loved every minute and will always be grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But it is also an incredibly challenging sport and now I want to see what else the world has in store for me.”
Williams, who has a two-year-old son, has spoken in the past of the responsibility she felt. Two years ago he said that he wondered every day if he was the right person to be in charge.
Champion of gender diversity in F1, Williams appointed drivers Susie Wolff, who now leads the Venturi Formula E team, and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick to development positions.
Williams is the third most successful constructor in the history of the sport, with 114 victories and 16 titles, but his last championship was with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
Founded in 1977 as Williams Grand Prix Engineering, the team peaked in the 1980s and 1990s with champions Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Villeneuve.
A message from Claire to our fans.#WeAreWilliams 💙 pic.twitter.com/6pKb7t2tkH
– Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) September 3, 2020
“We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our history and the legacy we leave behind,” said Claire Williams.
“We have always been in this for love, for the sheer pleasure of racing, so this is not a decision we made lightly but after much thought and as a family.”
Reuters
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