Williams not replacing Gillan, Wolff

Williams is not planning to replace Mark Gillan, the chief operations engineer who was credited with helping the team recover its lost form in 2012.

Gillan left Williams late last year, but at the time the Grove based team did not say if it intended to recruit from elsewhere to fill the vacancy.

"You have to remember," said chief designer Mike Coughlan on Tuesday, "there’s a lot of people moving forward in their careers."

Coughlan had been asked by Britain’s Sky Sports if Williams were now actively on the market to replace figures like Gillan, and the Mercedes-defector Toto Wolff.

"We look at it as one door closing, another door opening," Coughlan continued, "and a tremendous opportunity for some young people.

"What you may lose in experience, you certainly make up for in dedication," he added.

Asked again if Williams is looking to directly replace Gillan or Wolff in the short term, Coughlan insisted: "No, not at all."