Williams has appointed Mercedes’ Dan Milner as the new chief engineer for vehicle technology, in an attempt to turn the tide after a difficult start to the current F1 season. The car of the Grove-based team is struggling with various problems. Carlos Sainz pointed out the high weight and lack of downforce again during the last race weekend in Japan. With the arrival of the experienced Briton, Williams hopes to take a step forward.
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Milner is making the switch from Mercedes, where he had been active since 2006 and worked his way up to chief engineer R&D. After a short break, he is now starting a new chapter at Williams. “I am incredibly happy to start working at Williams,” said Milner in an official press release. “After being associated with Brackley for twenty years, this is the right time for a new challenge. Williams has a clear and ambitious plan for the future, and I look forward to using my experience and knowledge to accelerate that development. I can’t wait to meet the team, get to know the organization and turn ideas into performance on the track.”
Challenge
Within Williams, Milner will have a key role in improving performance and accelerating the development of the car. Technical director Matt Harman sees him as the right man for the task. “Dan (Milner, ed.) brings broad experience and strong leadership with him,” he responded. “He has led major programs in the field of R&D and powertrains, turning ideas into concrete performance.”
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“He also knows how to bring teams together to achieve results,” Harman added. “Dan will play a central role in our plans for vehicle technology and turn innovation into consistent performance improvements on the track. We are therefore very pleased to have him on board.” Milner is immediately faced with a serious challenge. In Suzuka, Sainz summarized the problems as follows: “The reality is that we can all perform much better and that as a team we not only need to reduce the weight of the car, but also increase the downforce and improve the balance,” the Spaniard concluded. “Those are the goals for this year.”
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