F1: Williams not thinking about retirement

Williams Team Principal Claire Williams

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Williams owner Sir Frank Williams will not be retiring anytime soon, according to his daughter and deputy Claire.

The 73-year-old is the oldest team principal in Formula One having founded the team alongside Patrick Head in 1977.

During his time in F1, Williams have won nine Constructors’ titles as well as seven Drivers’ titles, with Williams winning 114 races during their time in the sport

Their form during the 2013 season was a major concern but they responded in 2014 to finish third behind Mercedes and Red Bull.

Williams duo Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas have once again been in fine form this season as they look to keep pace with early leaders Mercedes and Ferrari. Both have finished inside the top ten in three of the four races so far in 2015.

Despite their good recent performances the team announced losses of £42.5million last week, leading to questions about the leadership of the Oxfordshire-based outfit.

Williams Snr doesn’t attend all the races throughout the season anymore and some reports have claimed he may be pondering retirement.

However, the recent speculation has been denied by Claire, who was promoted to deputy team principal in 2012.

“Frank is team principal. Always has been and always will be until we find him one day face down on the desk,” Claire Williams told Reuters.

“Frank is in there 24/7, he’s in the office more than any of us. He loves it, he’s passionate about it but he has a management team in place that he trusts to run the business,” she added.

“But Frank is there, he will always be and has no plans to retire. It wouldn’t be the same without him.”

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