Williams Racing confirmed on Friday that Pat Fry is joining the British outfit on November 1 as its new Chief Technical Officer, following his departure from Alpine F1 Team.
Experienced Formula 1 engineer Pat Fry has been appointed Williams Racing’s new Chief Technical Officer and will begin working for the Grove outfit on November 1, the team announced on Friday at Spa, Belgium.
“On behalf of all at Williams Racing, I’m delighted to welcome Pat,” Team Principal James Vowles shared.
By signing Fry, 59, who has built a distinguished Formula One career under his name over three decades working for a range of Formula One teams, Vowles has fulfilled one of his top priorities, finding a new technical chief - a vacant opened since December - a pivotal role on the way to returning to the front of the grid.
Vowles, who stepped in as only the third Team Principal in the team’s 46-year history last February from Mercedes, is writing a new chapter within the British constructor founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head.
In pursuit of results that translate the efforts to rejoin a path of success, he reinforces Williams’ strong leadership, moving towards the excellence one only finds in the wealth of knowledge.
“His knowledge and experience will further strengthen the team’s technical capabilities and pursuit of excellence as we build the next chapter of Williams,” the Team Boss added.
“Pat has been a core part of winning teams throughout his career; he is one of the most respected experts in our industry. I’m excited to begin work with him when he joins in November.”
Born on March 17, 1964, in Surrey, United Kingdom, Fry has left his mark in each of the teams he has worked with over the years, particularly at McLaren F1, contributing with his expertise for 17 years, holding various positions, including race engineering two-time F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen and Scot driver David Coulthard.
“I am thrilled to join Williams Racing as Chief Technical Officer,” he outlined.
“The team has a rich heritage in Formula 1, and I am excited to contribute to its future success. I believe in the team’s potential, and together, we will strive for excellence on and off the track.”
Fry and McLaren’s exceptional partnership began in 1993, working on active suspension systems to acting as Chief Engineer of Race Development and includes 66 Grand Prix wins, three Drivers’ Championships, and one Constructors’ Championship.
From 2010 to 2014, Maranello would become his base as he joined Scuderia Ferrari acting as Assistant Technical Director.
A restructuring process in Ferrari saw him taking on the role of Head of Race Track Engineering, later becoming Director of Chassis and Director of Engineering.
From 2016 to 2017, he was Manor Racing’s engineering consultant.
Then in 2018, he rejoined McLaren as Engineering Director temporarily, helping the team to claim its best Championship finish since 2012 with fourth place.
In 2020 he joined Alpine F1 Team as Chassis Technical Director before moving to Chief Technical Officer in 2022, overseeing all technical activities in Enstone.
Williams Halfway into the 2023 Season
Halfway into the 2023 season, Vowles sees Williams seventh in the constructors’ overall standings with 11 points, ahead of Haas, Alfa Romeo, and AlphaTauri.
Last season, the team finished last in the standings, having scored eight points across all season.
Williams in Recent History
2020 became a crucial year for the team’s future and survival in the fast-paced Formula One environment.
For the first time in their history, the outfit wrapped up the season without a point on its tally, struggling with an uncompetitive car and financial issues.
Previously in August, the Williams family had announced that the American investment company Dorilton Capital had acquired the team.
Commenting on the investment move, the new owners stressed the company “recognizes and appreciates the importance of respecting and retaining Williams’ heritage and culture and is committed to maintaining its identity.”
