_Private View 2019: Claire Williams on the family’s legacy in Formula 1

Below is the interview with Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principle of Williams Racing, in Private View 2019, Knight Frank’s definitive guide to luxury property and lifestyle in the UK and beyond. In the interview, Williams discusses the history, legacy and taking over one of Formula 1’s most influential teams from her father. Find the interview in Private View, 2019 on p25.

There are intimidating jobs, and then there’s taking over from your father at the helm of one of the most influential, successful and ground-breaking Formula 1 teams on the planet. That’s exactly what 43-year-old Claire Williams did when her dad, Sir Frank Williams, passed the baton to her to run the Williams team seven years ago. Frank, 77, had set up Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1966 and was a major part in motor racing’s rise to the global spectacle it has become today. And it’s been anything but an easy ride, as the technologically advanced world of F1 changes and teams battle to keep one step ahead of their rivals and in pole position on the grid. We spoke to Claire to find out what it’s like to head up one of the most well-known sporting teams in the world and how her family continues to inspire her…

What was it like growing up in a Formula 1 household? 

Our whole world was focused on Formula 1. My dad wasn’t the type of guy to leave his work at the office. We all lived and breathed it. My brothers [Jonathan and Jaime] and I would be taken to the British GP every year as a treat. I remember Dad’s car being mobbed by fans when he arrived at Silverstone and, once, Nigel Mansell took us on the dodgems when he was given the unlucky job of babysitting us one afternoon. We were taken to the factory an awful lot. It was great, the factory was like our playground. It was magical to grow up in.

Did you have aspirations to follow another career path? 

I went to an all-girls Catholic boarding school and we weren’t encouraged to have any real career aspirations. Back then, your career aspirations were to be a wife and mother, and that’s what I thought I’d end up being. My parents made it clear that none of us would inherit Williams or run it in any way when we were older. They got that wrong!

How did you end up working at Williams? 

I actually started at Silverstone, quite by accident. Dad sent me there to get some career advice, and after an hour of chatting with the MD they said they had a vacancy in the press office. I loved working there – I’d still be there now if I hadn’t been made redundant. I ended up at Williams following that – I got a phone call from the head of marketing at Williams saying that the press officer had just resigned and would I be interested. I said of course I was, but I knew Mum and Dad were not going to be happy. I said, “Have you asked my dad?” and they said, “No, it’ll be fine.” So I told them just to ring my dad. He rang back 30 seconds later to tell me my dad had told him to “b*gger off”. I eventually persuaded Dad. Seventeen years later I must have done something right, as he hasn’t fired me yet.

What have you learned from your dad and Williams’ fighting spirit? 

I’ve certainly learned resilience – in difficult times when you’re not doing well people can have some scathing opinions. But this is our team, and people can think what they like. Until you walk a day in someone’s shoes, in a job like this, you have no idea what it’s like, what it takes and what is truly going on behind the scenes. The greatest lesson, though, is the value of hard work and passion. We’re here because we love racing. That’s the only reason that we’re in Formula 1. For Dad, it was never about the winning, it was more about the taking part. He is my inspiration and my hero, he always has been and he always will be. What he’s managed to achieve in his life is quite extraordinary.

What type of culture are you aiming to create at Williams? 

Williams has created a culture of teamwork, fighting spirit and high performance. Your culture spins off the back of your performance, so you have to work hard to generate the culture you want. I believe culture plays an enormous part in the team, as much as, say, building aerodynamics on the car. If you don’t have a strong culture where people are working together as a team with one goal, you’re not going to be successful.

What legacy would you like to pass on to the next generation, and will you encourage your son to be involved? 

For me, Williams is a family team. That shapes the culture within the team, family look out for each other. I would love for my son to work within the team one day. I love what I do, this is an extraordinarily privileged world that we all work in, whatever your job. I don’t consider it work, doing something you love, playing with racing cars and travelling round the world. I would love my son to be a part of it if that’s what he chooses, I would never force him into it, though. I wouldn’t want him to be a racing driver. As long as he stays away from that, I’ll be happy!

What do you think the Williams legacy will be in the sport of F1? 

I’d want people to think of Williams as a team that never gave up, that fought to the end of every race and championship, with resilience and a spirit that was unmatched.