Pat Symonds joins Williams, Mike Coughlan fired

A few minutes after making it official the end of his collaboration with Marussia, Pat Symonds was announced at Williams as technical manager. An arrival which will be effective from August 19. As a result, Mike Coughlan, currently Grove's technical director of training, has just been disembarked and is leaving the team with immediate effect.

For almost 30 years, Pat Symonds worked at Toleman, then at Benetton and Renault, making him contribute to the success of Michael Schumacher then Fernando Alonso. His career took a hit in 2009 during the crashgate affair. After bouncing back in 2011 at Marussia, this 60-year-old Englishman is leaving for a new adventure at Williams. “I am delighted to see Pat join the team, welcomes Frank Williams, the boss and team principal of the eponymous team. His technical skills and sporting success speak for themselves and I am sure that his knowledge and leadership will contribute greatly to the successes that we are all trying hard to achieve here. »

“Williams is a team steeped in success and engineering excellence and I am honored to have been called upon to play a role in returning the team to its place at the pinnacle of the sport. Formula 1 », rejoices Pat Symonds. Sir Frank, Mike (O?Driscoll, CEO, Editor’s note) and Claire (Williams, Frank's daughter and Deputy Team Principal, Editor's note) have put in place the foundations for success and I am immensely excited to begin this new challenge.” See you at the Belgian Grand Prix, the first event of the year where Pat Symonds will wear his new colors.

Very soberly thanked by the Grove stable on his official website, Mike Coughlan has not made the slightest statement about his future.