Claire Williams

, a name synonymous with

Formula 1

’s rich history, stepped away from the sport in 2020 after the

Williams team

was sold. However, her connection with the world of motorsport never truly faded. Last year, she made a high-profile return—not as a team principal, but as an analyst for Netflix’s

Drive to Survive

. With season seven already available on

Netflix

, Williams continues her role, offering insights into the sport she dedicated much of her life to.

For years, Claire Williams played a crucial role in shaping the British racing outfit, leading it to multiple podium finishes and securing substantial sponsorship deals. Yet, after stepping away, she kept a low profile before slowly rekindling her involvement with F1. Being part of Drive to Survive has provided her with a way to remain connected while maintaining some distance.

“Being part of Drive to Survive has enabled me to maintain a connection but one where I’m at a distance,” Williams shared. “My time in F1 is over. I ran Williams – that was my family and my father’s team. That era is over.” Despite her departure, her love for the sport remains strong. “I still miss F1 every single day. For anyone who works in the sport or loves the sport, we all love it for a reason. There is something extraordinarily magical about it and that passion never dies.”
Her tenure at Williams saw remarkable achievements, from brokering multimillion-pound deals to advocating for the 2021 cost cap that helped smaller teams compete. Even after selling the team for £136 million in 2020, her expertise remains invaluable. Now, with her own consultancy firm, she continues to apply her strategic vision beyond the track.
Taking on the role of an analyst has been both an exciting and challenging shift for Williams. “I’m very mindful of what a privilege it is to be asked to do it. It’s one of the biggest sporting reality programmes on television and it’s beautifully made,” she remarked. Yet, she acknowledges the irony of now being on the other side of the conversation. “Before, I would be on the show and people would be judging me. Now one of my responsibilities sat in the chair as a talking head is to comment on what people in the sport are now doing.”
Having experienced firsthand the pressures of running an F1 team, Williams approaches her commentary with a level of empathy few analysts can match. “When I was in the sport, it was one of the things I liked the least about it – that you’re so exposed and people have so many opinions. So, when I agreed to do it, as much as it was a privilege, for me it was about how am I going to balance being able to analyse and comment on people whose shoes I have walked in – and do it in a fair and positive way. It’s not easy.”

Despite her deep-rooted ties to Formula 1, Williams has found fulfillment outside the sport. Following the passing of her father, Sir Frank Williams, in 2021, she immersed herself in family life and new ventures. “Life carries on. And as much as I miss Williams, and I miss Formula 1 dreadfully, there is a whole other world out there. You have to go and find happy elsewhere. That is what I have done.”
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While the Williams era in F1 may have concluded, Claire Williams remains an integral voice in the sport’s narrative. Through Drive to Survive, she continues to offer fans an insider’s perspective, proving that while her role has changed, her passion for racing remains as strong as ever.