Patrick Head receives knighthood

Williams Formula 1 team co-founder and former technical director Patrick Head has been given a knighthood in the Queen's 2015 Birthday Honours list.

Head helped Sir Frank Williams establish the team as a credible force in F1, first as the squad's designer in the 1970s before becoming technical director to oversee the engineering department in 1986.

Williams said of the news: "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."

Head designed Williams's first F1 car in 1978 – the FW06 – and the following year's FW07 ground effect car scored the team's first victory before Alan Jones took the car to both F1 world titles in 1980.

As well as becoming Williams's technical director in 1986, Head also had to take temporary control of the team while Frank Williams recovered from his road car accident.

From his position as technical director, Head oversaw Williams's time as the dominant force in F1 when the Grove based squad won 59 races and four drivers' titles between 1991 and '97.

Head later became director of engineering before he retired from his position at Williams in 2011.

Originally on Autosport.com