Williams F1 hires Mercedes veteran Dan Milner as Chief Vehicle Technology Engineer

Williams Racing has secured a significant hire from reigning champions Mercedes, appointing Dan Milner as its new Chief Engineer for Vehicle Technology. Milner leaves Mercedes after a 20-year association, including 14 years with the F1 team, to take on a key technical role at Grove as Williams pushes forward with its ambitious recovery plan.

Why it matters:

This move represents a notable talent acquisition for Williams, directly poaching experienced engineering leadership from the sport's most successful modern team. For a squad in the midst of a multi-year rebuild, attracting personnel with championship-winning pedigree is crucial for translating long-term ambitions into tangible performance gains on track. It signals Williams' intent to strengthen its technical foundation with proven winners.

The details:

• Dan Milner brings over two decades of high-level F1 experience, having started his career as a systems engineer at Honda before its transformation into the Brawn GP and then Mercedes team.
• He was part of the Brawn GP organization during its fairytale 2009 championship-winning season, working as an R&D engineer.
• At Mercedes, he climbed the ranks and gained broad experience, eventually leading major programs across research & development and powertrain departments.
• In his new role, Milner will be central to Williams' vehicle technology strategy, tasked with converting technical innovation into consistent performance improvements.
• Williams Technical Director Matt Harman emphasized Milner's proven ability to "turn ideas into performance" and "bring teams together to deliver."

What's next:

Milner's integration into the Williams technical structure will be a key process to watch. His immediate focus will be on learning the organization and applying his Mercedes-honed expertise to Williams' specific challenges. This appointment is a clear step in team boss James Vowles' strategy to reinvigorate Williams with top-tier talent from rival teams, aiming to accelerate the historic outfit's journey back towards the competitive midfield and beyond.