Dorilton Capital become the new owners of Williams Racing

American private investment firm Dorilton Capital have bought Williams Racing as the Oxfordshire-based team complete their ‘strategic review’ which was launched in May.

Dorilton Capital has a strong track record of building and enhancing companies potential.

Having made this significant investment in Williams, their key focus will be to restore the competitiveness of the team who have not won a F1 teams or drivers title since 1997 or won a race since 2012.

Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital, commented: “We are delighted to have invested in Williams and we are extremely excited by the prospects for the business.  We believe we are the ideal partner for the company due to our flexible and patient investment style, which will allow the team to focus on its objective of returning to the front of the grid.  We look forward to working with the Williams team in carrying out a detailed review of the business to determine in which areas new investment should be directed. We also recognise the world class facilities at Grove and confirm that there are no plans to relocate.”

The strategic review saw Williams’ financial advisers conduct a comprehensive review of all the available options with detailed discussions among all the potential investors.

The transaction received unanimous support from the Board of Williams which includes the founder of the team, Sir Frank Williams. This secures the long-term future of the team in Formula 1 having signed the concorde agreement which commits them to the sport until 2025.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, commented: “The Strategic Review was a useful process to go through and proved that both Formula One and Williams have credibility and value.  We have now reached a conclusion and we are delighted that Dorilton are the new owners of the team. When we started this process, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same passion and values, who recognised the team’s potential and who could unlock its power. In Dorilton we know we have found exactly that. People who understand the sport and what it takes to be successful. People who respect the team’s legacy and will do everything to ensure it succeeds in the future.

“As a family we have always put our team first. Making the team successful again and protecting our people has been at the heart of this process from start. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family owned team, but we know it is in good hands. The sale ensures the team’s survival but most importantly will provide a path to success. We are enormously grateful to Dorilton for the faith they have shown in our team and we look forward to working with them now. I would also like to thank the Williams Board and our advisers who have worked tirelessly over the past months to make this happen and our employees who have remained steadfastly loyal.”

This now means that Dorilton Capital owns the entire Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd business which includes the F1 Team, Williams Heritage collection and William Advanced Engineering (including the design and production of the new Gen 3 Formula E battery for use from 2022/23).

But while the family no longer own the business, it guarantees the Williams name will remain in F1 for the long-term with a stead-fast investor backing their efforts to go motor racing.

With this deal being done before the budget cap comes into force for 2021, Dorilton Capital will be able to invest heavily to try and get Williams away from the rear of the grid as the team embarks on a new chapter in their long and truncated history.