F1's Williams named as BBC award judge

Formula 1 legend Claire Williams has joined the BBC Make a Difference Awards as a judge.

She ran the Williams team, founded by her father Sir Frank Williams, between 2013 and 2020, and is now a main contributor on the Netflix series Drive to Survive.

Ms Williams will judge the volunteer category for this year's BBC Radio Berkshire and BBC Radio Oxford awards, which celebrate people who give their time voluntarily to help others.

Nominations close on 31 March and can be submitted online.

Other Radio Berkshire judges include Basingstoke actor James Bye, who will judge the fundraiser category, and former Reading manager Steve Coppell, who will look after the active category.

Berkshire-born Williams sold the Formula 1 team in 2020, and said it still felt "surreal" five years on.

"Formula 1 was everything to our family, we were in it for many, many years," she said.

"[But] to be able to watch it occasionally from the comfort of my sofa is also nice."

She said she was "really excited" to be judging the award for both stations.

"There are so many people in this county who do so many extraordinary things voluntarily to give their time to others, and I'm sure I'm going to be met with countless stories," she continued.

"I think it's just going to be fascinating."

But she joked that choosing a winner could be "harder than running the [Williams] team".

"How do you differentiate between all these incredible people that do amazing things in their communities?" she said.

"I'm really looking forward to it but I think it's going to be a difficult challenge."

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