Key Williams signing finally revealed after lengthy year-long search for vital role

Williams have appointed Adam Kenyon as their head of aerodynamics, after a year-long vacancy in a crucial role in their organisation.

Team principal James Vowles eventually promoted from within after finding the former Mercedes aerodynamics group leader was performing well in the role, making the appointment “without a big fanfare” several months ago, but only being brought to light now.

Williams make key appointment after year-long head of aero vacancy

Williams have been making a series of moves behind the scenes as they look to set the groundwork for a future move back up the field, with Formula1.com bringing the news of Kenyon’s appointment to the fore on Wednesday.

Vowles has already praised Kenyon for the work he has been doing in the short term, but adding that he has been playing a part in looking at the team’s longer-term planning as they look to establish themselves back at the front of Formula 1 again, with Pat Fry having been brought in as chief technical officer late last year to oversee that area of the team.

“Adam Kenyon is our head of aero – that was done without a big fanfare in March this year,” Vowles told Formula1.com.

“I worked with Adam back at Mercedes and he was at Red Bull prior to that.

“He was chief aero but an extraordinary chief aero and, really, he was running the operation and doing a good job with it.

“I just wanted to make sure that he was able to take on the role because it was a large amount of addition to him.

How long has James Vowles been in charge at Williams?

? F1 team principals: How long has each team boss been in charge?

? F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?

“He’s doing brilliantly well with it. He’s restructuring and bringing in excellence and using the excellence we have to now not focus on one year but three or four years. And that’s a big change from what it was. We’re bolstering the team around him.

“In terms of Pat as CTO [chief technical officer] he’s doing a brilliant job. He’ll recognise as I recognise that there is so much to do, and you’ve got to be careful not to be pulled into the now and instead go into ‘let’s fix this long term’.”

With the team looking to the future, Vowles has been working hard to bring new names to the team as he looks to plot a way forward – and he revealed a raft of signings have already been made behind the scenes, though are not ready to yet be announced.

What he did promise, though, is “big names” when they do eventually arrive – and they will be arriving in numbers, too.

When asked about how the team’s recruitment drive is going in Canada, Vowles responded: “Very good. We’re not yet, unfortunately, in a position to announce these, but when we do start to announce who we have signed, they’re going to see big names recognised by a lot of people, across our technical organisation, across our aerodynamic organisation.

“And not small numbers. I think we’re at about 20, 30 people now that have huge accolades in the sport and will contribute towards the success of Williams. We’re in a good position – it’s going the way I’d like it to.

“It’s always slower than you’d like it to [be] – you’d like people through the door tomorrow. But what I’ve done is made sure we wait for the right people, and then sign them and bring them in.”

Read next: Helmut Marko quizzed on Mercedes front wing with ‘doesn’t surprise me’ verdict