Under-fire Lowe departs struggling Williams team
Under-fire Lowe departs struggling Williams team
Williams Chief Technical Officer Paddy Lowe appears to have departed the team following the troubled launch of their 2019 car which ended pre-season testing in Barcelona slowest of all, having missed the opening two and half days of running at the Circuit de Catalunya.
A short statement from the team on Wednesday evening said that Lowe was ‘taking a leave of absence for personal reasons’ and the team declined to comment further when asked for further clarification on his future.
Lowe, who joined Williams for a second spell in 2017 after overseeing three consecutive constructors’ championship wins with Mercedes, was already under pressure heading into this season after the team finished bottom of last year’s championship for the first time in their history.
After missing the opening two and half days’ running in Barcelona, Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams said she was “embarrassed” that the team had failed to finish their 2019 car on time but insisted a full debrief into the cause had not yet been carried out.
Paddy Lowe has been placed on leave by the @WilliamsRacing team. Lowe insisted he was ignoring speculation regarding his future when asked in Barcelona, but as CTO he may well have had little option but to stand down following the team's troubled FW42 car launch. #F1 #PaddyLowe — Rob Watts (@robwattsf1) March 6, 2019
Speculation regarding Lowe’s future grew further when it became clear that Williams were again struggling for pace with their new car, however, the 56-year-old refuted suggestions his job was on the line, insisting he had “not paid attention” to the media speculation.
But now, following Williams’ statement, it is expected that Lowe will not return to the team and confirmation of his departure will follow.
Lowe’s exit will be another blow for Williams who lost significant sponsor at the end of last season following Lance Stroll’s move to the newly branded Racing Point team, as well as the loss of title sponsor Martini who opted not to renew their contract.
The season opener in Melbourne is now less than two weeks away and it appears likely to be a challenging weekend for Williams after race driver Robert Kubica suggested he was only “20% prepared” for the start of the season following the car’s late launch.
MORE: Red Bull celebrate Honda 'party mode'
MORE: Vettel and Leclerc will be difficult to manage - Brawn
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Newey set to announce STUNNING Red Bull departure
- 3 hours ago
Newey Red Bull exit wish CONFIRMED as F1 guru's reasons revealed
- 22 minutes ago
F1 legend reveals 'FLOOD' of death threats after controversial decision
- 1 hour ago
Adrian Newey: The life and career of Red Bull's departing genius
- 1 hour ago
Sky Sports F1 pundit dumbfounded by key Ferrari decision
- 2 hours ago
- 2
Talented young F1 prodigy set to make series DEBUT
- Today 16:57
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860