Symonds to leave Williams?

Reports from Autosport.com have current Williams Chief Technical officer Pat Symonds leaving the team. The Williams team is yet to confirm the timing of his departure or even if he is leaving the team. Symonds' reported departure most likely comes due to the reports that have Paddy Lowe leaving Mercedes and joining the Williams team in a senior technical role.

Symonds joined the Williams team mid-2013 and in his first full year with the team he would help guide them to a third place finish in the Constructors' Championship. The team would again finish third in 2015 but 2016 saw the team drop down the order to finish fifth.

His departure has come at an important time for the Williams team as they prepare for the 2017 season and the major technical changes that are to take place. There was a view that Symonds would stay at the Williams team in 2017 prior to leaving after a year that would allow Lowe to integrate himself into the team.

Symonds' possible departure also comes at a time when there is a still a degree of uncertainty over who the team will have as their 2017 drivers with reports seeing Valtteri Bottas leaving to join Mercedes to be replaced by Felipe Massa. At a time where the team needs to be able to go into the 2017 season without major staff changes taking place it would appear that the team is prepared to accept such changes.