P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Williams has signed McLaren’s chief operating officer as part of a recruitment drive that also includes senior Mercedes and Alpine F1 staff
Williams has signed the chief operating officer of McLaren’s Formula 1 team, Piers Thynne, alongside poaching senior Mercedes and Alpine staff as part of their recruitment drive. Thynne played a significant leadership role within McLaren, supporting team principal Andrea Stella since McLaren’s technical reshuffle in early 2023. He will take on the new role of chief optimisation and planning officer at Williams starting in August to lead transformation in manufacturing and operations for long-term success. Williams aims to set new standards in the sport, and Thynne is excited to contribute to the team’s journey towards championship level performance. Additionally, Williams announced the hiring of other senior technical personnel, including Claire Simpson from Mercedes as head of aerodynamic development, Fred Judd also from Mercedes as head of performance optimisation, and Steve Booth from Alpine as head of vehicle engineering. The team plans to bring in more senior leaders from various teams in the following months to strengthen their lineup.
