Claire Williams believes that women are playing a larger role in the backroom staff of Formula One teams.
Claire Williams believes that her appointment as deputy team principal of Williams proves that Formula One is no longer the patriarchal enclave it once was.
Williams took up her new role at father Frank’s marque last week, following the example set by Monisha Kaltenborn, who is the current team principal at Sauber.
“Formula One may be perceived as being male-dominated, but those perceptions are being broken down now,” Williams told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday.
“Sauber has a female team principal, and now I’ve been put in this position, I think those traditional pre-conceptions of Formula One are breaking down a bit more.”
Williams, who started out as a press officer with the team 10 years ago, dismissed suggestions she owed her appointment to nepotism.
“We’ll have to wait and see how I do in the role, but I would like to think I will do a good job for the team,” she said.
“Williams’ USP (unique selling point) is we’re renowned as a family team, so it’s important we retain that family element. So putting me in this role I think is a good thing for the team and for the sport.”
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