The Williams team has secured the services of Axel Kruse, a prominent figure in Formula 1, as its chief operations director, marking the end of his 15-year tenure with the competing Sauber team.
Kruse formerly held the chief operating officer position at the Swiss organization, but he is now scheduled to assume his new responsibilities on September 1, succeeding Fred Brousseau, who intends to go back to his home country of Canada.
This will not represent Kruse’s initial engagement with Williams, as he previously served as a BMW engineer during the period when the German manufacturer supplied engines to the team’s vehicles from 2000 to 2005. This included achieving second place in the constructors’ standings in both 2002 and 2003.
“I am very happy about joining Williams Racing and I am eager to begin,” Kruse expressed.
“Williams is a renowned Formula 1 team that holds significant ambition and momentum, and I am eager to collaborate with everyone at Grove to achieve success on the track.
“As a young engineer, I directly witnessed the professionalism and enthusiasm within the team as we secured second place in the constructors’ championship. There is unfinished business, and the objective must be to achieve first place.”
Williams has encountered a challenging period in the recent past, having finished last in the teams’ standings in 2022, for example. However, the British team has demonstrated progress in 2025, currently holding fifth position in the championship after 13 rounds.
Frederic Brousseau, Williams Chief Operating Officer
Photo by: Williams
“I am thrilled to welcome Axel to Williams Racing as we proceed to allocate resources to the personnel, technology, and infrastructure required to accomplish our objective of returning to the forefront of the grid,” stated team principal James Vowles.
“Axel represents the most recent addition of exceptional talent from within the F1 community, and he will proceed with the crucial initiatives initiated by Fred to elevate our operations to a truly championship-caliber standard.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Fred for all of his contributions, and we collectively extend our best wishes to him as he returns to Canada.”
Consequently, Brousseau will depart from Williams following his arrival in April 2023, subsequent to a 26-year career with the aerospace corporation Pratt and Whitney.
“Having actively commenced our transformation process over the preceding two years, we are presently observing evident indications of advancement, both in terms of business outcomes and on-track performance,” Brousseau stated.
“Given the existing and sustainable positive impetus throughout the organization, I believe the timing is suitable for me to return home and commence the subsequent phase of my professional journey.
“I am profoundly proud of our collective accomplishments and, above all, appreciative of the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the personnel, who constitute the genuine essence of Williams. Being welcomed into this team and the realm of Formula 1 has been an authentic privilege.”
The incumbent Williams design director, Matt Harman, has also been elevated to the position of technical director – engineering, following his initial arrival from Alpine in the previous year.
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
