Williams Formula 1 team co-founder Patrick Head has been given a knighthood in the Queen’s 2015 Birthday Honours list.
The 69-year-old helped Sir Frank Williams to start the Williams F1 team in 1977 before becoming technical director in 1986, helping to push the team up the grid to eventually secure nine constructors’ and seven drivers’ championships.
Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head during the 1996 season (© Williams F1 Team/LAT Photographic)
Speaking about the knighthood, Williams said: “My name may be above the door, but I have always stressed that the creation and subsequent success of Williams was very much a team effort.
“My co-founder Patrick Head was the design genius who turned us from a small upstart into a world championship winning force.
“His engineering talent helped play a key role in establishing Great Britain as a leading force in global motorsport and the benefits of this are still being felt to this day, both culturally and economically.
“This award is thoroughly deserved for his contribution to British engineering and motorsport.”
