Williams hires Mercedes veteran Dan Milner as chief engineer of vehicle technology

Williams brings Mercedes veteran Dan Milner on board as chief engineer of vehicle technology, a move aimed at rebuilding its technical foundation ahead of the 2026 season. Milner, who spent 20 years at Mercedes overseeing power‑train integration and R&D, will head a new workstream focused on base‑level innovations that can be applied across future cars.

Why it matters:

Williams has struggled to match the front‑runners in both performance and technical development. A dedicated vehicle‑technology department will close gaps in transmission and hydraulics, reduce dependence on off‑the‑shelf Mercedes parts, and lay a longer‑term path to consistent gains.

The details:

• Dan Milner joins after a 20‑year Mercedes stint covering the Honda, Brawn and Mercedes eras, rising to head power‑train integration and R&D.
• He will lead a new vehicle‑technology stream that runs alongside the FW48 project, developing base‑level tech for future cars.
• The remit includes transmission and hydraulics, moving Williams back to in‑house hardware rather than relying on Mercedes‑supplied parts.
• Technical director Matt Harman says Milner’s R&D track record will “unlock better ideas” and drive performance gains.

What's next:

Milner arrives as Williams finalises the 2026 FW48 and starts work on the 2027 car. If the new tech stream delivers reliable parts on time, the team could see steady, year‑on‑year gains and gradually close the gap to the front‑runners. The payoff will likely be felt beyond the next two seasons as the department matures and its innovations become core to Williams’ chassis.