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Williams adds Susie Wolff as development driver

Susie Wolff will get a full track test for Williams during the summer © Williams

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• Drivers:
• Bernie Ecclestone
• |
• Sir Frank Williams
• |
• Susie Wolff

• Teams:
• Williams

Williams has added Susie Wolff to its line-up as the team's new development driver.

Wolff - previously racing as Susie Stoddart - is the wife of Williams shareholder Toto Wolff, and was successful in karting before moving through the Formula Renault ranks to Formula Three in 2005. After only one round of Formula Three she switched to DTM the following year where she continues to race, currently having achieved a best finish of 13th in the championship in 2010. Wolff has now joined Williams and will help the team's technical development, as well as testing the FW34, and Sir Frank Williams welcomed her to the team.

"Susie is a talented, successful and highly professional racing driver who competes in one of the world's most fiercely-contested racing series," Williams said. "Susie will join Williams as a Development Driver, in which capacity she will assist us with the development of our simulator and other technical challenges.

"Susie will also undertake some aerodynamic testing of the FW34 and a full track test in the coming months. Susie will also attend a number of races with us. I should add that, as Susie is married to Toto Wolff, a Director of Williams, her appointment was carefully considered and then approved by the Board, with Toto recusing himself from the process."

Wolff herself said she was looking forward to bringing her DTM expertise across to Formula One, and hoped to be a role model for female drivers at the pinnacle of motorsport.

"I would like to thank Sir Frank for giving me this opportunity both on and off the track," Wolff said. "I must also thank Mercedes Benz AMG and HWA for supporting me to take up this new experience with Williams. Formula One is the ultimate challenge for any racing driver and it offers me the chance both to apply and to improve the skills I have developed racing in DTM. In return I shall be offering some of my own technical insight and experience - coming from a different discipline - and helping the team engage with its partners. I hope also to demonstrate that women can play a role at the highest levels of motorsport and I shall be working closely with the team on its social responsibility programme in the areas of education and road safety."

Bernie Ecclestone also welcomed the announcement, adding: "If Susie is as quick in a car as she looks good out of a car then she will be a massive asset to any team and on top of that she is very intelligent. I am really looking forward to having her in Formula One."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.