Sir Frank Williams discharged from hospital

Williams had been admitted to hospital just over a week ago, with his family confirming he was in a stable condition, while keeping the details of his medical situation private.

Earlier on Thursday the 78-year-old’s former team, which he founded in junior single-seater categories in 1966, announced Williams had been released from hospital to continue his recovery at home.

“We're delighted to say that Sir Frank has been discharged from hospital and is now on the mend at home,” a Williams statement read. “The Williams family would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time, and to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

Williams ended his association with the team that bears his name in September this year, soon after its acquisition by Dorilton Capital, with daughter Claire Williams also stepping down from her role as deputy team principal.

Last week Williams announced former McLaren F1 boss and Volkswagen Motorsport head Jost Capito is set to arrive at the Grove-based team as its new CEO, starting his position next February, with Simon Roberts taking on the role of team principal on a permanent basis.

Roberts is adamant Williams will remain a wholly independent team to continue “the cultural fit with the team” started by it founder as it looks to start a new era in 2021.

"We can see advantages but we don't want to become a B-team," he explained. "We want to retain our independence, but we want to be more competitive. So for us, looking forward, we're open to extending a relationship but the specification of that would depend on what we think we're strong at, internally, and where we think we need help and support.

"From the cultural fit with the team, there's a lot of synergy between the road map that Claire [Williams] had laid out and we're staying very true to that.”

Sir Frank Williams suffered severe injuries in a road accident in France in 1986, which rendered him tetraplegic, but continued to run the team in spite of his injuries and, along with co-founder Sir Patrick Head, Williams was a powerhouse team of the 1980s and 1990s. For his services to the sport, he was knighted in 1999.