Williams and Mercedes are definitely at the heart of the transfer market this winter. While negotiations continue over the arrival of Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg, a new development has just emerged in the relations between the two teams.<\/p>\n
Thus, Pat Symonds has announced that he does not intend to go beyond his three-season commitment with Williams and will retire after nearly four decades in the sport. He will have successfully made his comeback, after the disgrace he faced during the infamous Singapore 2008 Crashgate, which led to his dismissal from Renault and exclusion from the paddocks for more than a year.<\/p>\n
Claire Williams, the deputy team principal, thus made the announcement official: \u00ab Pat has been a very important asset to the team over the past three years. His appointment was the starting point of a major restructuring. He has been essential in making Williams what it is today, a much stronger team. \u00bb<\/p>\n
After years of hardship, Williams has been able to secure 14 podiums over the last three seasons, whereas they had recorded only Pastor Maldonado’s single victory in 2012 between 2008 and 2014.<\/p>\n
This therefore opens the door for Paddy Lowe’s departure, who is currently the technical director at Mercedes. Indeed, the British engineer is unable to reach an agreement with his current employer after winning everything for three years. And there’s no doubt that the grueling end of the season at the top of Formula 1 has taken its toll on him. Let’s recall the Abu Dhabi episode and Lewis Hamilton’s bold strategy, where he defiantly opposed Paddy Lowe’s radio messages.<\/p>\n
However, Williams is not yet able to formalize this arrival since his contract also ends on December 31. It is therefore very likely that it will be formalized at the beginning of January.<\/p>\n