Jost Capito: Williams team principal and CEO leaves ahead of 2023 F1 season

Williams have announced the departure of Jost Capito and technical director François-Xavier Demaison ahead of the 2023 F1 season; the duo leave after a year in which Williams finished bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with just eight points

Jost Capito leaves Williams ahead of 2023 F1 season

Jost Capito is stepping down as CEO and team principal of Williams after two years in charge of the F1 team.

The Grove-based team have also confirmed that technical director François-Xavier Demaison will step down after joining in 2021.

The departures follow a year in which Williams finished last in the constructors’ championship with just eight points – 27 behind nearest rivals AlphaTauri.

“It has been a huge privilege to lead Williams Racing over the past two seasons and lay the foundation for the turnaround of this great team,” Capito said.

“I look forward to seeing the team continue its path to future success.”

Capito, who previously had a short stint in F1 with McLaren in 2016, joined Williams as CEO in December 2020 and assumed the role of team principal in July 2021.

Demaison, meanwhile, joined his former Volkswagen Motorsport boss Capito in the team as technical director in March 2021, overseeing the design and development of their cars.

However, that will all change for 2023, and Williams will announce a new team principal and technical director in due course before the new F1 season.

“We would like to thank Jost for his hard work and dedication as we embarked on a major transformation process to begin Williams Racing’s recovery journey,” said Matthew Savage, Chairman of Williams Owners Dorilton Capital.

“We are grateful that Jost has postponed his planned retirement to meet this challenge and now he will hand over the reins for the next part of this staged process.

“We also want to thank FX for their contribution and wish them all the best for their future as they move on.”