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The team retains Rubens Barrichello for 2011, but GP2 Series champion Pastor Maldonado lines up alongside him. Cosworth remains on board for a second consecutive season, giving the team technical stability, but the year proves to be one of the most difficult in the team’s history and it finishes ninth in the constructors’ championship. A mid-season overhaul of the technical team sees longstanding Technical Director Sam Michael and Chief Aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson making way for Mike Coughlan (Technical Director), Mark Gillan (Chief Operations Engineer) and Jason Somerville (Head of Aero).

Away from the racetrack, Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc lists on the Frankfurt stock exchange in March and the team forms a new partnership with acclaimed chef Michael Caines MBE. Michael trains up the motorhome staff and devises many of the VIP menus at race weekends.

Season Highlight

Rubens Barrichello’s ninth places at Monaco and Canada.

Fun Fact

At the end of the season Patrick Head, co-founder of Williams and its director of engineering, steps down from his involvement with the race team in order to concentrate on Williams Hybrid Power.