Williams team principal James Vowles has gone on the record to push back against claims surrounding the team’s ownership structure, dismissing the allegations ahead of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix and vowing to contest them through the courts.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vowles was asked about a high-profile Guardian investigation that raised questions regarding the opacity of who actually controls the Grove-based outfit. He didn’t beat around the bush:
“Those claims are false for a start, and they will be fought in a court of law, which is where they should be at this point in time. They’re misleading.”
At the center of the dispute is Claudia Schwarz, Williams Racing‘s former Chief Marketing Officer, whose dismissal in November 2022 set off years of litigation spread across courts in New York and Florida. In May 2023, Dorilton filed a lawsuit in New York claiming Schwarz had illicitly taken $6.9 million in expenses and inflated fees.
Schwarz countered with her own set of claims that grew considerably in size. Schwarz alleges that Peter de Putron, a Jersey-based billionaire, is not merely a passive investor but the effective controlling force behind Dorilton and, by extension, Williams Racing itself.
Dorilton fiercely disputes this, insisting that de Putron’s involvement is limited and passive.
The ownership question is what’s generating the most friction publicly – and what Vowles appears most eager to stamp out.
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