Claire Williams has been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, with the Williams Deputy Team Principal and Commercial Director being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Williams has been an influential part of the resurgence of the Williams Martini Racing team, who have moved back towards the front of the field after a few years of struggles, and has seen the team claim back-to-back third place finishes in the championship in 2014 and 2015 with drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa.
She has also been appointed Vice President of the Spinal Injuries Association, a charity that means to the popular member of the Formula 1 community, and she admitted her pride of being awarded the OBE.
“Today is a very proud day for me, but this is also a bit of a surprise,” revealed Williams. “To be recognised in this way is a tremendous honour but one everyone at Williams can take credit for.
“I’m extremely lucky that I get to do a job that I love. To be able to play a role in a family legacy is an enormous privilege and one I don’t take for granted.
“Formula One, and Williams, are great success stories for the UK and I will continue to use my role to help showcase what a great sport Formula One is, what a brilliant platform for this country’s expertise in high class engineering it is, as well as a place that welcomes women across all of its disciplines.”
