Former VW motorsport boss Sven Smeets has joined Williams Racing as the British outfit's new sporting director.
The 49-year-old Belgian previously worked under the orders of Williams CEO Jost Capito when the latter was at the helm of VW's motorsport department.
Capito, who also poached current Williams technical director François-Xavier Demaison from VW's racing department earlier this year, has entrusted Smeets with "the sporting governance and representation of the team in all sporting matters related to the FIA, other teams, and motorsport associations."
Smeets will also assume "overall accountability for the race team" and oversee Williams' young driver academy, which currently includes Jack Aitken, Roy Nissany and Jamie Chadwick.
"Working alongside Jost Capito, FX Demaison and the Williams Racing Management Team, Sven ensures that the optimal culture, resources and environment are in place for the team to succeed," states Smeet's bio on the Williams website.
Smeets' kicked off his motorsport career as a navigator in the world of rallying before taking up a management role with Volkswagen in the World Rally Championship in 2013.
But upon Capito's move to McLaren in 2016, Smeets took over the management of VW's motorsport division, a position he held for four years before committing to Williams Racing and F1, embedding with the team for the first time in Qatar.
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