Williams proud after "proving we could turn things around"

Claire Williams has conceded to leaving Formula 1 with pride after turning around the team's fortunes.

After 43 years, Sunday's Italian Grand Prix proved to be the last for the Williams family that opted to leave F1 following the recent takeover by US-based investment company Dorilton Capital.

Following a difficult few years in which the team languished at the back of the field, it has at least enjoyed a more competitive season this term as it has raced with the midfield and reached Q2 on multiple occasions courtesy of George Russell.

With the team seemingly on an upward trajectory, and in the wake of helping to secure a better future for it under the new Concorde Agreement, Williams left the Monza paddock with her "head held high".

"Inevitably in life, there are always regrets," she told Sky Sports F1.

"There are some things that I regret during my tenure, mistakes have been made and we have received a lot of criticism for that but it goes with the territory.

"But I will be proud of the fact that we had those two third places that we took in 2013 and 2014, the two fifth places subsequent to that.

"I will be proud that we made a promise coming into this year that we would turn the team around. We have done that and we have proven that we could and that is so important to me.

"But also to conclude the Concorde negotiations as well that is going to set the sport on a much better trajectory, a trajectory that will benefit teams like ours for the future and bring greater stability for teams further down the grid.

"I feel like I can walk out of this paddock with my head held high and that is all that I wanted to do."

With Williams' departure, the grid will go back to having no female team bosses and she feels there should be a much "greater gender diversity".

Williams said she would be "incredibly happy" if she had "inspired one woman to come into this sport".

"I have received a lot of messages from a lot of women," she explained.

"Some who watch our sport, and a lot of women who work in it, and saying having a woman in such a high profile position in Formula 1 has inspired them.

"I never really thought about that a whole lot, but I have thought about it a whole lot more the last few years and tried to embrace that and do what I can to promote more women to come into this sport.

"Because it should be a sport that has got a much greater gender diversity and if I have inspired one woman to come into this sport, for me, it would make me incredibly happy."

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