Amongst this unpredictable silly season, Jost Capito resigned after two years at the helm of the Williams F1 operation.
Jost joined the British team in December 2020, after it was bought by investment group Dorilton Capital, as CEO; He later took on the role of Team Principal in mid-2021, replacing Simon Roberts. Prior to the position, he held an extension of motorsport roles, including former McLaren F1 CEO and Volkswagen Motorsport boss.
Upon entering the role, Williams were coming off the back of their worst season to date, with drivers Latifi and Russell unable to score points due to the car. As a result, there was a major shift in the team’s management, most notably the removal of Claire Williams as Team Principal and thus the end of the William’s family’s control of the team.
The idea behind this shift was to take Williams back to their past heights in the sport, with Capito commenting on the day of the 2021 Williams livery launch that “we believe we can make it, in a very strategic, focused way, back to the front of the grid.” The aims of Capito were clear, so post his resignment from the team, can it be said that he fulfilled them?
Put curtly, the 2020 season was a failure for Williams, with them finishing last in the constructors standings. Their highest race finish was a P11 in Tuscany from George Russell, however the season as a whole was unconvincing to say the least. For many, this was a culmination of a poor past couple of years, which certified them as a backmarker team rather than a midfield team in contention for podiums.
In Jost Capito’s first year at the team, the British outfit achieved their first points since Robert Kubica at the German Grand Prix two years prior. This was a major achievement from the team and hinted towards a newly motivated force. Furthermore, this morale seemed to carry through the season as they finished in 8th place with 23 points in the constructors’ championship. This placed them at the forefront of the backmarkers, which may sound unimpressive but was a necessary improvement, and saw them fighting for points again.
However, going into the 2022 season, considerable regulation changes loomed over the grid. Paired with the loss of George Russell to Mercedes, Williams had both the opportunity to greatly improve or fall back down the grid. The driver pairing of Alex Albon, with experience at a top team in F1 and plenty of good performances under his belt, and Nicholas Latifi, entering into his third season with the team, seemed strong enough. Nevertheless, when the season began it became apparent that Latifi’s blunders were losing the team crucial points, though Albon consistently was close to the point scoring positions.
Despite some strong showings and clear development in the car, it seemed that it wasn’t enough in comparison to the other teams. An underwhelming finish saw them complete the season last in the constructors with 8 points.
Going into the 2023 season, there is lots of excitement surrounding the Williams team as they recruit F2 driver Logan Sargeant to pair Alex Albon. This seems like a stronger line up than last season and Jost Capito even told PlanetF1.com at the Autosport Awards, “I expect to make a step forward… You never know what the others do, but so far, we are quite optimistic that we can do a good step for the car.” Due to him talking about his 2023 plans in such a fashion, it is unclear if the move away from the British team was planned far in advance. Additionally, the team haven’t put out a statement yet as to why Jost left his role.
After the announcement that he was leaving, Jost stated that “It has been a huge privilege to lead Williams Racing for the last two seasons and to lay the foundations for the turnaround of this great team. I look forward to watching the team as it continues on its path to future success.” On a personal level, he seems to be content with his work at the team. Read William’s full statement here:
https://everythingtrackside.com/jost-capito-leaves-williams-racing/
From a viewer’s perspective, it is clear that he has completed his aims as team principle, as Williams steadily has moved closer to the midfield. Capito brought fresh ideas into the team with his large amount of experience and has prepared the team for future success.
The team seem moved by his departure, with many sentiments being released. “We only had one year working together, but in that time you were not just a Team Principal but also a great friend,” wrote Albon. “Thank you, Jost for your faith in me this year and all the support that that came with. Wishing you the very best in the future.”
Furthermore, Sargeant wrote, “Jost, thank you for having the trust and belief in me throughout my time in the academy and helping me on my path to F1. He gave me an opportunity to show my potential and race in Formula 2. He has been a great team leader, and I wish him the best in whatever the future may hold!”