Michael race talks to Clare Williams, deputy principle of Williams Formula 1

DESPITE growing up as part of a Formula 1 family, Claire Williams never had any ambition of working in the sport.

She was told by her parents to "do her own thing" and was quite happy to work towards a different career path.

Now, just over three years since she became the deputy principle of Williams Formula 1 team, the 39-year-old is focused on continuing family's legacy started and says Grove is at the heart of it.

Set in countryside off Station Road, the world-class racing outfit decided to move to the village 20 years ago.

The move by team principle Sir Frank Williams signalled the team's ambition to be at the top of the sport as investment and engineering science in the sport boomed.

But despite the radical changes, the Williams family still have the same racing core and Ms Williams said Grove was perfect for the firm.

"Grove is home," she says. "I always say that, as a family, we have lived off every junction of the A34 since I have been alive.

"I consider Williams as much my general home as I do the house where I live just outside Henley.

"When I drive back through the gates here, you get that wash of relief, like, 'you're home'."

She recalled Sir Frank's decision to move from the old industrial estate in Didcot to the 80-acre site.

"It was very important to stay in Oxfordshire," she said.

"We had to get the council to shut down the A34 in the middle of the night to transport our wind tunnel. It was a big old mountain of move.

"We now have a 100 per cent model tunnel, so there is no way we are moving. Most of our staff live within this postcode, so what's point in moving?

"We have got great facilities here and it's really appealing being here."

Ms Williams graduated in Politics from Newcastle University before working in motor racing.

In her student days she said she had no idea what she wanted to do and did not always plan to join the family business.

"I went to an all girls Catholic boarding school where we were basically brought up to be wives and mums and I was not one of the few girls in my class who wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer," she added.

"I never had any ambitions of working in Formula 1 for no other reason than my parents had both said to me 'you will never work at Williams, don't even think about working at Williams, that's not going to happen, you need to go out and do your own thing' – and I was totally on board with that.

"It never entered my head. My dad is not into nepotism and never wanted me working here in the first place."

And when the offer came for Claire to continue the family legacy, Sir Frank's only daughter said she took a lot of time to make her decision.

"It was a big consideration. It's not just the job, it's my family and Williams to me is like another brother and I have a duty of care and protection to it.

"It's not just rocking up and running a team.

"This is a legacy for me it's a legacy for my parents.

"I love it more than I would love any other job because there is so many elements involved, not only the emotional connection I have to the team. I

"I love the fact I can be a part of it and I can help, if I can, deliver success to it.

"It's a brilliant job and we are so privileged to work in this sport, it's a great sport and we do it in these wonderful surroundings, it really couldn't be better.

"When people come to the site they fall in love with it because how can you fail not to. I'm loving it, how could you not?"

So far in her role, Ms Williams said her favourite memory to date was the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which secured the team third place in the championship.

She said: "We worked our socks off to turn this team around and to try and to raise it from the ashes.

"In 2014 we came out and showed everybody that we still had fight and weren't a team that was going to collapse and die a painful death.

"It's a big thing when you have so many people that work for you.

"There were a lot of people going 'well she's only in that job because of her dad and she's a girl' so it was great to have that vindication, and for every one else to have the reward.

"It's not just the team, it's the families that don't see the people they love because they are giving so much."