Williams F1 team announce major rival swoop as star with ‘unfinished business’ confirms return

James Vowles smiling sat at the Williams F1 pit wall — Photo: © IMAGO

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Williams announce major rival swoop as F1 stalwart with ‘unfinished business’ confirms return

Williams F1 team have announced a major signing

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 29 July 2025 17:59 Updated: 20:20

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Williams have announced the signing and return of an F1 stalwart to their ranks as the Grove-based outfit pull off a major swoop ahead of their rivals, Sauber.

As Williams works towards becoming a championship winning team once again ahead of the new regulations in 2026, they have appointed a new chief operations director to spearhead their project - Axel Kruse.

The German will replace Fred Brousseau at the team, who has been instrumental in transforming and modernising Williams’ production processes since 2023.

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In an official statement released by Williams, Kruse revealed he had ‘unfinished business’ with the team whom he helped finish second in the constructors’ championship with BMW back in 2002 and 2003.

"I am thrilled to be joining Atlassian Williams Racing and can’t wait to get started. Williams is an iconic Formula 1 team with huge ambition and momentum, and I look forward to working with everyone at Grove to deliver success on track," he said.

"As a young engineer I saw first hand the professionalism and passion at the team as we finished second in the constructors’ championship – there is unfinished business, and the target must be to finish first."

James Vowles is on a mission to return Williams to a top F1 team

Who is Williams’ latest signing Axel Kruse?

Kruse has two decades of leadership experience in F1 and has spent the past 15 years as chief operating officer at Sauber.

The German will start his new role with Williams on September 1, reuniting with the team after working as a BMW engineer during their partnership which lasted from 2000 until 2005.

Williams’ latest appointment also follows a change in roles for design director Matt Harman, who has been promoted to the role of technical director as a result of the reshuffle.

James Vowles’ F1 team have emerged from a tough run of form in recent years, where they are currently placed fifth in the constructors’ standings having already outscored their tally of points from the 2024 season as a whole.

While Williams’ focus remains entirely on the 2026 car, they are not the only team hoping to make gains with the new regulations, as Sauber transform into Audi next season in a bid to become a team consistently fighting at the top.

We are delighted to announce that Axel Kruse will be joining Atlassian Williams Racing as Chief Operations Director from September 2025.

Axel brings almost two decades of leadership experience working in Formula 1.

Read more at the link below.
— Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) July 29, 2025