Knighthood for Williams co-founder Head

Patrick Head, co-founder of the Williams Formula One team and its long-term technical director before his retirement, is to become known as Sir Patrick Head after being knighted for his services to motorsport in Queen Elizabeth II's 2015 Birthday Honours list.

Together with Sir Frank Williams, Head began Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977. In 1979 the British engineer’s FW07 car took the first of the team’s 113 wins, and together they would go on to claim a total of nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles.

“My co-founder Patrick Head was the design genius who turned us from a small upstart into a world championship winning force,” Williams told his team’s website in congratulating his colleague.

“His engineering talent helped play a key role in establishing Great Britain as a leading force in global motorsport and the benefits of this are still being felt to this day, both culturally and economically. This award is thoroughly deserved for his contribution to British engineering and motorsport.”

Head, now 69, left his role as Williams’ technical director in 2004 to become director of engineering. He stepped down from the Williams board at the end of 2011.