Williams opens new tech centre

A new Williams technical centre, aimed at spreading the skills and know-how of F1 into the wider industry, has been inaugurated in the UK. Present at the ceremony was British prime minister David Cameron.

 

Williams has run a variety of programmes, mostly race-based, recently providing energy recovery systems for Audi and Porsche's Le Mans cars.

 

Last year's Jaguar C-X75 hybrid supercar featured a lot of Williams technology – in fact, the tech centre building was originally proposed as a works for building a 200-strong production run.

 

Now, a wide variety of aerospace, automotive and static power generation projects are being brought together in the new centre.

 

Williams also recently had a hand in developing Nismo's "time attack" GTR which set a new class record at the Nürburgring. It has also been appointed official battery developer and supplier for the Formula E electric single seater race series, due to begin in September.

 

Williams Advanced Engineering boss Craig Wilson says he already has around 150 engineers working on disparate projects, and expects the pace of work to accelerate, now that the new premises are fully equipped and staffed.