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Reports: Williams set to name former Renault chief as Technical Director

The Williams team is poised name two significant signings to bolster their technical department.

Williams are are to announce the signing of Nick Chester as their new Formula 1 Technical Director, according to Formula.Hu. The team have been searching for a replacement for FX Demaison who left his role at the same time as previous team boss Jost Capito in late 2022, with David Worner acting up on an interim basis. Incoming team boss James Vowles made it clear that his top priority was to sign a Technical Director, but that the team would not rush into an appointment and select the right person. Vowles recently revealed that a signing had been made, but that he was not in a position to announce who the person was, although it is now believed to be former Renault chief Chester (below).

Chester to join Williams

Multiple sources confirmed to Formula.Hu that Chester, who left the Enstone-based squad in 2020 would be taking up the role of Technical Director, with an announcement possible in the coming days. Chester has recently spent time working with the Mercedes and McLaren Formula E squads while also penning what is believed to have been a short-term deal with Andretti as they hope to secure a spot on the 2026 F1 grid. Formula.Hu also report that Pat Fry is set to become Chief Technical Officer at Williams, moving from Alpine where he currently holds the same role. Fry, like Chester, is an F1 veteran having had spells with Benetton, McLaren, Ferrari and Manor, working with the likes of Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. "We are actively recruiting for many senior positions and want to spend enough time to find the right people for the open positions," a Williams spokesperson told Formula.Hu. " We do not wish to comment on rumours about specific individuals." Williams are currently ninth in the 2023 Constructors' Championship ahead of the British Grand Prix, scoring seven points all through Alex Albon, including a stand-out seventh place in the Canadian Grand Prix. Logan Sargeant has yet to score any points in his rookie campaign, with a best finish of 12th on debut in Bahrain.

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