Following Williams' change of ownership, the veteran team continues their restructuring efforts – today, Williams officially announced that former F1 driver and world champion Jenson Button will return to the team as senior consultant.
Last year, Williams was acquired by U.S. investment firm Dorilton Capital, and the Williams family officially stepped down from team management. Simon Roberts was later appointed team manager, and Jost Carpito, who had briefly been CEO at McLaren, became Williams' new CEO.
On Friday, Williams officially announced that 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Barton had signed a multi-year contract with the team to rejoin Williams as a senior consultant. 21 years ago, it was at Williams that the 19-year-old Barton started his F1 professional driver career.
In an official statement, the team said: "Jensen joined Williams as a senior consultant and was able to use his more than 30 years of racing experience to advise and guide the team and bring support and progress to our drivers as well as our academy drivers. ”
In the 2021 season, Barton will be involved in some of the races with Williams racing and a number of team events in the UK, while also supporting Williams' media and marketing campaigns. He will also continue his work at Sky Sports F1, combining team roles and media responsibilities.
Barton himself said: "I am delighted to announce once again that I have signed Williams. When I signed for the first time when I was 19, that moment changed my life. Even though more than 20 years have passed, I feel like I've never really left. Sir Frank Williams has a lot of confidence in me and I am forever grateful for that. I'm excited to have the opportunity to come back again and help the team work towards success, and I'm very excited. I know there's a lot of hard work to be done, but I absolutely believe that the future of this amazing team is bright and I can't wait to start. ”
Williams CEO Jost Capito added: "Getting Jenson back into the team is another positive step in our restructuring efforts and he will help us keep moving forward on and off the track. Jensen has been a friend of the Williams team and is therefore delighted to welcome him back into the Williams family. ”
Back in 2000, Sir Frank saw Jenson's talent as a driver and gave him the opportunity to play in F1 for the first time. In his illustrious career he not only fulfilled his initial promise, but ultimately achieved the world championship.
In recent years he has shown keen insight in both business and media communications and remains a widely respected figure in the paddock. All of these experiences will help us transform technically and businessly.
I know everyone at the Williams plant has a lot of respect for him and we're looking forward to starting working with him. ”