Williams up for Major Changes in the Team

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The Williams Formula One team is up for Major Changes in the Team Outfit. It is all due to the Team's Worst start in any F1 Season.

Williams, which failed to score a point in the first three of this season’s 19 races, sold shares in a 60 million-euro ($88.6 million) initial public offering. The shares began trading on March 2 and lost almost one-third of their value through April 18, the day after the last race in China. They were unchanged today at 19 euros at 1.30 p.m. in Frankfurt.

Those who are joining Team:

Mike Coughlan - New Chief Engineer

Mike Coughlan will join as chief engineer for Williams from Nascar’s Michael Waltrip Racing in June.

Those who are quitting Team:

Technical director Sam Michael	Chief Aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson	William's Co-Founder Patrick Head

Technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson will quit after 2011.

Williams co-founder Patrick Head will retire this year, the Formula One team's chairman Adam Parr told reporters on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old handed over his role as technical director some years ago and admitted recently that he is not attending too many races this season as engineering director.

He cashed in millions of his team shareholding for the Frankfurt stock floatation earlier this year, and will head into retirement proper later in 2011, Parr told reporters during a teleconference.



Mike Coughlan will join as chief engineer for Williams from Nascar’s Michael Waltrip Racing in June.

Mike Coughlan was fired by championship rival McLaren in 2008 for spying as the team tries to get out of last place.

Frank Williams, Team Principal, said: "Mike Coughlan is a fine engineer with extensive experience across Formula One and both civil and defence engineering. He left Formula One in 2007 because of conduct which he acknowledges was wrong and which he profoundly regrets. His two year ban from the sport expired some time ago and Mike is now determined to prove himself again. Williams is delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do this and we are very pleased to have one of the most talented and competitive engineers in the sport helping us to return to the front of the grid. This is the first step in re-building and strengthening our technical group. We will announce the next steps as they develop."

Mike Coughlan commented, "I am grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity. My experience in 2007 was life-changing. Since then, I have endeavoured to put my skills to good use in the design of the Ocelot vehicle whose purpose is to transport soldiers in safety. I have also enjoyed my time with Michael Waltrip Racing: they are an excellent race team and I wish them well for the future. Now, I am looking forward to returning to a sport which I love and to joining a team that I have admired for many years. I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous."

"He (Coughlan) will be responsible for the FW34, next year's car, and how that develops," said Parr,



Technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson will quit after 2011.

“Both Sam and Jon are talented and driven people who have worked hard for Williams over 10 and five years respectively,” explained team principal Frank Williams. “Nonetheless, they have recognised that the team’s performance is not at the level that it needs to be and have resigned in order to give the team the opportunity to regroup and undertake the changes necessary to get back to the front of the grid.

“Both will continue to work in their present positions through until the end of the year to ensure that the team maintains focus and momentum during the 2011 season. We are very grateful to Sam and to Jon for their professional approach.”



Team's Chairman Adam Parr also offered his resignation to Team Founder, Frank Williams but the resignation was rejected.

"There is quite a bit of change coming, so by the end of the year we will have a clear new group for 2012 and beyond," added Parr, who also revealed that he offered Sir Frank Williams his own resignation.

"Absolutely," he confirmed, admitting the team shareholders did not accept his offer. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel responsible for this failure."