Who Is The Owner Of Williams F1 Team?

The Williams Formula 1 team is owned by Dorilton Capital, a private investment firm based in New York. Dorilton acquired the team in August 2020, ending over four decades of family ownership under Sir Frank Williams and later his daughter, Claire Williams.

While Dorilton is the public-facing owner, recent court documents filed in the New York Supreme Court confirm that Peter de Putron, a British financier, is the effective controller behind the team. The filings describe de Putron as the individual who “makes all significant decisions” related to Williams through Williams IP Holdings, the entity Dorilton uses to control Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

This structure remained private until February 2025, when details surfaced during a court case involving Dorilton Capital. The documents confirmed de Putron’s role in approving team budgets and overseeing management decisions, even though his name does not appear in public team communications or press materials.

Dorilton Capital continues to invest heavily in Williams, funding infrastructure upgrades and supporting long-term development. Under its ownership, the team remains independent and operates as a constructor with its own facilities and engineering group based in Grove, Oxfordshire.

Was Williams F1 team sold?

Yes. Williams was sold in August 2020 to Dorilton Capital, a private investment firm headquartered in New York. The sale marked the end of family ownership that had lasted since the team’s founding in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head.

The decision to sell followed a period of financial difficulty and competitive decline. After several underperforming seasons and a strategic review launched in 2020, the Williams family began exploring options to secure the team’s future. Dorilton Capital completed the acquisition shortly before the start of the delayed 2020 Formula 1 season.

Though the team changed hands, Dorilton pledged to preserve the Williams name and maintain its identity as a fully independent constructor. The acquisition included all assets, facilities, and intellectual property under Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

The sale brought much-needed financial stability and paved the way for new investment in staffing, infrastructure, and technology as the team worked to climb back up the grid.

Who finances the Williams F1 team?

The Williams Formula 1 team is financed by Dorilton Capital, the private investment firm that acquired the team in 2020. Dorilton provides full financial backing, covering operational costs, staffing, research and development, and long-term capital investment.

Since the takeover, Dorilton has funded major upgrades across the Grove facility. This includes improvements to wind tunnel access, simulator systems, and expanded engineering capabilities. These investments are part of a long-term plan to return Williams to consistent competitiveness within Formula 1.

Although the team remains eligible for prize money based on Constructors’ Championship performance, Dorilton’s financial support is critical in bridging the gap between earnings and the cost of staying competitive under the current budget cap. Like other independent teams, Williams also attracts sponsorship income, but its primary funding continues to come from Dorilton’s capital.

The team operates with full autonomy in race operations and technical direction, but all financial planning and budget approval ultimately go through Dorilton’s executive structure. As court records have recently confirmed, key decisions within that structure are made by financier Peter de Putron, who has final authority over spending and resource allocation.

Is Williams F1 still family owned?

The Williams F1 team is no longer family-owned. The team was sold to Dorilton Capital in August 2020, ending more than 40 years of ownership by the Williams family. Since that sale, not Claire Williams or any other family member has retained a stake or operational role within the team.

The decision to sell was driven by financial pressure after years of declining performance and tightening budgets. Claire Williams served as Deputy Team Principal until the end of the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, after which the family stepped away entirely.

In an interview on the Business of Sport YouTube channel, Claire Williams spoke openly about the emotional difficulty of the sale. She explained, “We just ran out of money, not to put too fine a point on it.” She described the sale not as a choice, but as a last resort to keep the team alive.

Although the Williams name remains on the car and the team still races from its original base in Grove, Oxfordshire, it is now fully owned and operated by Dorilton Capital. The Williams family has no current involvement in the team’s management, ownership, or decision-making structure.

Why did Claire Williams sell Williams?

Claire Williams sold the team in 2020 after a series of financial setbacks left the family with no viable path forward. The decision was not made willingly, nor was it motivated by a desire to leave Formula 1.

The team had entered the season with ROKiT as its title sponsor, but the telecoms company withdrew from the deal on the eve of the opening round. Williams pursued legal action and won a court judgment confirming that ROKiT owed over 30 million pounds, but the unpaid sponsorship left a major hole in the team’s budget.

“We took them to court and we won,” Claire explained. “They owe us 30-odd million quid, which is half the money they actually owed us. They obviously didn’t pay, and that obviously left a huge hole in our budget going into 2020.”

The situation worsened with the onset of the Covid pandemic, which delayed the season start and cut off income linked to race participation. “We didn’t go racing until July that year, and when you don’t go racing you don’t get money,” she said. “That was the final nail in our coffin.”

Claire made clear that the sale was not about leaving the sport or seeking a financial exit. “It wasn’t a decision that we made as a family to sell because we’d had enough of Formula 1 or wanted to cash out. We all wanted to stay in it. It was our life forever, that was the plan. I wanted to run the team for my son or my nephews.”

Despite the circumstances, she said the family was fortunate to find Dorilton Capital, who she described as the kind of people they wanted to sell to. However, she also expressed regret about the terms of the deal. “I’m quite gutted that as part of the deal I didn’t just say we want to retain five percent.”

Claire ended by acknowledging the timing and outcome with perspective. “We were very lucky because 2020 was a horrible time for everybody. People were not buying businesses and they certainly weren’t buying flailing Formula 1 teams. We were very fortunate that these people came along and they did exactly that, and so that was the greatest outcome that we could have had.”

Under Dorilton’s ownership, Williams continues to operate as an independent constructor with its own identity, engineering resources, and long-term goals. Although the Williams family no longer has a stake in the organisation, the legacy they built remains central to the team’s public image and internal culture.

What began as a survival decision has allowed the team to stabilise and begin rebuilding, with renewed investment and a clear vision for the future…

Analysis for this article was provided by Pep Talk, where leadership insights from voices like Claire Williams speaker help connect high-performance decision-making in sport and business.

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