Williams signs ex-VW WRC man Demaison as F1 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.
George Russell, Williams FW43B
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
"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.”
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