Former Formula 1 team principal Claire Williams is mulling over a political career and may run to become a Conservative MP in the next General Election, Express Sport has learned. The 49-year-old remains a prominent figure within motorsport circles and stands among the select few women to have ever managed an F1 outfit.
Williams dedicated nearly two decades to the eponymous racing team established by her late father, Sir Frank Williams, climbing the hierarchy to secure the deputy team principal role in 2013. She oversaw the team’s daily operations whilst also serving as the Williams family representative on the board, continuing until 2020 when the organisation was acquired by American investment company Dorilton Capital.
The former racing executive is now contemplating leveraging the management expertise she developed throughout her tenure in the F1 environment as a springboard from which to jump into the political arena. Express Sport understands that Williams is entertaining the prospect of standing as a Conservative parliamentary candidate in the upcoming General Election, though she has no current concrete plans.
Williams, who graduated Newcastle University with a politics degree, told Motor Sport Magazine of her fascination with pursuing a political path. She said: “Well, it may be a pipe dream, but yes, I’ve thought about it.
“If you’ll allow me to brag for a second, I recently had a meeting with the Duke of Edinburgh and he asked me to be on his development board for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and in my wildest dreams I couldn’t ever imagine that someone like me would get the chance to do something like that.
“I miss F1, but what I miss most is having a real purpose in work and focusing on something that I really, truly, deeply love and am passionate about.”
When questioned whether she might consider standing as an MP, Williams responded: “Yes – then see what that might lead to. I’d like to drive positive change, to make life better for people. On a much smaller scale, doing that was what I loved most about running Williams.
“The team aspect of it, making sure that everyone had what they needed to do their jobs, that the environment was right and that the culture was conducive to good performance and human happiness. The UK should be like that too, and politicians should be devoted to making people’s lives easier, not giving them more to worry about. Certainly, when I look at what’s going on in the UK today, you kind of think, ‘Jeez Louise’..”
Williams wouldn’t be the first recognisable figure from the F1 paddock to venture into the political arena. Prior to becoming president of motorsport’s governing body the FIA, Max Mosley served with the Conservative party and was the son of notorious former British fascist leader Oswald Mosley. Despite his efforts, two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi failed to secure a seat in the 2022 Italian parliamentary elections.
However, former Williams driver Carlos Reutemann enjoyed political success in his native Argentina, serving twice as governor of the Santa Fe province and later becoming a national senator. Despite being approached about a potential bid for the presidency, Reutemann declined the offer.