May 21, 2026 — Williams has announced a major round of senior hires, headlined by Piers Thynne joining from McLaren as Chief Optimisation and Planning Officer.
Thynne, who will start at Atlassian Williams F1 Team in August, was McLaren’s Chief Operating Officer until January. He joined McLaren in 2008 and rose to the COO role in 2023, a period that preceded the team’s Constructors’ Championship wins in 2024 and 2025.
In his new strategic position at Williams, Thynne will focus on streamlining processes, optimising resources and introducing technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing to modernise the team’s facilities and operations.
“I am delighted to be joining Atlassian Williams F1 Team at what is a really exciting moment,” Thynne said. “Williams has clear ambition to be championship level in all areas and set new standards in the sport, and I can’t wait to play my part in that as a member of the senior leadership group. I have enjoyed a fantastic time at McLaren, helping bring the team back to the top, and hope we will be able to do the same at Williams.”
Thynne’s arrival is part of a wider recruitment drive at Grove. Claire Simpson has been appointed Head of Aerodynamic Development after 12 years at Mercedes, while Fred Judd joins from Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains as Head of Performance Optimisation. Steve Booth is moving from Alpine to become Head of Vehicle Engineering.
Earlier this year, Dan Milner joined Williams from Mercedes as Chief Engineer – Vehicle Technology. The team says more senior hires from across the paddock are expected in the coming months.
Team Principal James Vowles welcomed the new appointments: “I am thrilled to be welcoming Piers to Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we continue investing in the people, processes and technology to compete at the front in Formula 1. We are clear in our ambition to build a team that can win World Championships, and Piers has unrivalled recent experience in doing exactly that. I am also delighted to welcome Claire, Fred and Steve — we are attracting extremely talented strategic recruits from throughout the paddock who will add to the foundations we have already put in place and help take us to the next level.”
The recruitment push signals Williams’ intent to accelerate its technical and operational development as it targets sustained contention at the front of the grid.