Ex-McLaren F1, VW WRC boss Jost Capito appointed CEO of Williams Racing
Williams Racing has announced one of its first major appointments since being taken over by Dorilton Capital with experienced manager Jost Capito hired as Chief Executive Officer for the 2021 F1 season.
The German is one of the sport’s most decorated managers outside of F1 with stints heading up Ford and Volkswagen’s title-winning campaigns in the World Rally Championship, while he had a hand in BMW, Porsche and Sauber’s success in sportscars during the 80s and 90s.
Capito comes to Williams in the role of CEO, reporting to Dorilton Chairman Matthew Savage, who was named Williams Racing head in the wake of Dorilton’s takeover in September, which signalled the exit of the Williams family from the team it founded back in 1977.
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As a result of Capito's appointment, Simon Roberts will revert to the role of Team Principal having headed up the team since the departure of erstwhile boss Claire Williams.
“It’s a great honour for me to join Williams Racing during these exciting and demanding times for both the team and for Formula One,” Capito - who will start on February 1 2021 - said.
“It is an honour to be a part of the future of this storied team, and one that carries such a poignant name in the sport, so I approach this challenge with great respect and with a huge amount of relish.”
“We are excited to welcome Jost Capito as the new CEO of Williams Racing,” added Savage. “He is an experienced and competitive individual, who has built winning teams and is a winner in his own right. He understands the Williams heritage and will work well with the team in pursuit of our objective to return to the front of the grid.”
Capito’s Williams arrival marks his second F1 job role following a brief stint as team manager at McLaren in 2016, which concluded soon after when Ron Dennis was ousted by current boss Zak Brown.
