Williams has announced the launch of a new company, Williams Grand Prix Technologies, that will turn its F1 expertise to tackling clients’ engineering challenges in other sectors. Sitting alongside the racing operation, and also owned by Dorilton Capital, the new company will be based at the team’s technology campus in Grove in the UK.
The new business will target a range of sectors including wider motorsport, premium automotive, aerospace, defense, marine, energy, sport and lifestyle. It is also a useful tool for the racing team in a time of budget caps, enabling it to retain engineering headcount outside of the Formula 1 rules, yet still leverage their expertise as a service.
The company will be able to lean on Williams’ extensive assets to offer services including: platform dynamics, advanced materials, simulation and modeling, instrument and data analytics and high- performance computing. Sitting alongside these core engineering services is a range of in-house prototype testing and evaluation resources that include a wind tunnel, driver-in-the-loop simulator, single-axis testing machines, an eight-post rig, chassis rig and other testing rigs in addition to bedplate testing.
Prior to the establishment of Williams Grand Prix Technologies in 2024, Williams also had other business interests beyond F1 racing. It owned a majority stake in Williams Hybrid Power Limited and also established Williams Advanced Engineering – both businesses took technology developed for F1 and adapted it for multiple commercial applications. Williams Hybrid Power was sold to GKN in March 2014 and Williams Advanced Engineering was sold to Fortescue in February 2022.
Matthew Savage, chairman at Williams Grand Prix Engineering, said, “We are delighted to be establishing Williams Grand Prix Technologies, bringing F1-derived innovation and pedigree to a wide range of other sectors. Williams Grand Prix Technologies offers a unique mix of engineering experience, expertise and capabilities to solve customers’ problems and we have already received significant interest from a diverse set of clients even before launch. We will be using skills and assets that have been established, developed and refined over five decades of competing at the highest level of motor racing on a global stage, which is a unique pedigree that only Williams can offer. Being part of the wider Dorilton group of companies also allow Williams Grand Prix Technologies to offer services from across the group to further enhance the technologies and services available to the customer.”
