Williams brushes aside Ecclestone rumor but remains evasive on Dorilton

A week after the announcement of the sale of Williams at the American investment company Dorilton Capital, Claire Williams found herself under fire from questions on the sidelines of the Belgian Grand Prix. 

It must be said that the transaction has several dark sides. Indeed, stock market documents indicate that the entity Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc was in fact sold to an investment fund, BCE Limited, managed by Dorilton. 

Some have seen in the acronym BCE the initials of a certain Bernard Charles known as “Bernie” Ecclestone, former big financier of the F1. A rumor that Claire Williams was quick to deny.

« Bernie has nothing to do with our new owners Dorilton Capital, who are completely independent, she insisted. Bernie is not the buyer of Williams ». 

Williams, however, recognized that behind BCE Limited was a very wealthy family. 

« I will refrain from sharing more details about the identity of the people behind Dorilton, tried to evacuate the daughter of Sir Frank Williams, co-founder of the eponymous team with Sir Patrick Head in 1977. 

We will be able to clarify this situation over the months. We carried out all possible checks to ensure we found owners who would put the stable first. 

We are very happy to have new owners who have a passion for Formula 1 and Williams. They have very clear ambitions and know where they want to take the team and are willing to make the necessary investments to get there.

The people of Dorilton have spent a lot of time behind the scenes understanding and assimilating the inner workings of the stable and the sport. They rely on the expertise of very competent advisors to support them and enrich their knowledge. There will necessarily be a learning process. They are already immersed in the team, at Grove, to understand what Williams needs to progress. I have complete confidence in them that they will succeed. ». 

Asked several times about her future as deputy team principal, Williams appeared more and more annoyed throughout the questions, repeating each time that the team continued to “ run as usual for now ». 

Who are the new captains of Williams, Dorilton? content » to manage their money?

Several names quickly circulated, starting with that of Michael Latifi. The Canadian businessman, father of the Williams driver Nicholas latifi, had helped the British team a few months ago via a loan including a mortgage on the Grove facilities and its collection of historic vehicles. 

Dmitry mazepin, who tried to buy Force India two years ago and whose son Nikita plays in Formula 2, is also one of the profiles that could stick, as does Israeli businessman Sylvan Adams, patron of Williams test driver Roy Nissany. 

There is nothing to confirm as it stands that one of the three individuals cited above won the prize. 

What is certain is that F1 is a very particular universe where commercial rules apply that could surprise an American investment fund accustomed to doing business in more traditional areas. 

The new Concorde Agreements may make F1 more attractive, but the purchase of a team that has been in great sporting and financial difficulty for years is not going to result in a wonderful return on investment. 

Therefore, we can imagine that the sheltered family behind BCE Limited and Dorilton has an interest other than purely financial.