Formula One legend Claire Williams made her appearance at iGB Live 2025 as the opening guest of Pulse Theatre, where she shared her experiences in high-pressure management during her F1 career and explored the commonalities between racing and the iGaming industry in terms of regulation, innovation, and execution.
Introduced by Clarion's non-executive chairman Michael Caselli, Williams recalled starting her career at Silverstone in a relaxed tone and humorously denied that her role as the team's press officer was a result of "nepotism." She served as the head of Williams F1 team from 2012 until the team was sold in 2020.
In a live interview, she admitted that the team faced significant financial pressure at the beginning of the 2020 season when they failed to receive £20 million in crucial sponsorship money, compounded by the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately leading to the "painful but necessary" decision to sell the team.
Host Nadine Dereza then steered the conversation towards comparing the high-performance cultures of F1 and iGaming. Williams expressed her impression of the scale and pace of the iGaming industry, noting the extreme similarities in attention to detail and teamwork.
She emphasized that behind a 2-second pit stop in F1, there is an ultimate test of the mechanics' physical abilities and technical details. She led her team to achieve a record 1.8-second stop, which was backed by continuous innovation and precise rule operations.
Discussing the transformation of F1, Williams believed that Netflix's "Drive to Survive" changed the entire event's openness and reshaped global audience enthusiasm, calling the series a key driver in revitalizing F1's attention.
When discussing female representation in executive roles, Williams candidly stated that "diversity and inclusion are basic requirements," and admitted that even in leadership positions, gender bias is still faced. She argued that women should not just be ornamental but an integral part of the core strength of enterprises.
Finally, she talked about the application of artificial intelligence in F1, expressing appreciation for technological advancements while revealing concerns about it replacing human judgment. She stressed, "Racing reflects the human spirit, not just a complete data model. AI has its value, but it should not dominate the competitive spirit that humans cherish."
Williams' speech brought cross-disciplinary insights to the iGaming audience and filled the entire Pulse Theatre with reflection and resonance.
