McLaren F1 COO among senior figures poached by Williams

Williams F1 has poached Piers Thynne, McLaren's former chief operating officer, as part of a broader recruitment drive that also includes senior hires from Mercedes and Alpine. Thynne, who joined McLaren in 2008 and played a key role in the team's rise to the 2024 constructors' championship, left McLaren in January 2026. He will join Williams from August 2026 in a newly created role as chief optimisation and planning officer, focused on transforming manufacturing and operations.