Williams: Head will retire at the end of the season

The 2011 season will be Patrick Head's last F1 season. Adam Parr, CEO of Williams, revealed this today. The 64-year-old gave up his role as technical director a few years ago and admitted that he will not participate in many races this year in the role of engineering director.

Head, a partner of Frank Williams, has made many millions from the listing of the team on the Frankfurt stock market and will definitively retire at the end of 2011.

Parr announced this in a conference call with the media in which he also announced the change at the top of the team's technical department between Sam Michael and Mike Coughlan who will arrive at Grove next month.

“Coughlan will be responsible for next year's FW34 car and its development,” said Parr. Coughlan was banned for two years from F1 in 2007 for the Ferrari-McLaren spy story.

Jon Tomlinson, head of aerodynamics, will also be replaced and Parr said the team will announce new hires soon.

“There are a few changes coming, so towards the end of the year we will have a new group for 2012 and beyond,” added Parr who revealed he had offered his resignation to Frank Williams. "They were rejected by the shareholders, but that doesn't mean I don't feel responsible for this failure."