Special report: Allegations and Ownership Questions Surround Williams F1
Allegations of sexism, racism, and expense fraud have emerged in US courts involving prominent figures in motor racing and notable musicians. Central to the dispute is the role of Peter de Putron, a billionaire based in Jersey, whose precise involvement with the Williams F1 team has become a focal point.
On the racing circuit, Williams is striving to regain past successes with drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, led by team principal James Vowles.
Off the track, the team and its parent company, Dorilton, are engaged in a contentious legal battle with former executive Claudia Schwarz, dismissed in 2022. Schwarz alleges her termination followed her raising concerns about sexism and racism within the organization, with claims involving Lewis Hamilton’s foundation and artists Wyclef Jean and Shaggy. She also challenges the ownership structure, asserting that Peter de Putron exerts control over the team despite Dorilton’s claims to the contrary.
Dorilton counters these allegations, accusing Schwarz of expense fraud, inflating fees, and colluding with a former CEO of Williams’s parent company to defraud the company.
Schwarz was dismissed as Williams’s chief marketing officer in November 2022. She states no reason was provided at the time and that a severance package agreed upon was never fulfilled, leading her to sue for breach of contract months later.
In May 2023, the dispute escalated when Dorilton filed a lawsuit in New York alleging Schwarz illicitly charged $6.9 million in expenses and fees, including costs for flights, hotels, and services from her agency, Stilus. Dorilton’s lawsuit also alleges an "inappropriate relationship" between Schwarz and Darren Fultz, CEO of the holding company, which both deny. Schwarz emphasizes that fraud allegations surfaced only after her breach of contract suit.
Following Dorilton’s lawsuit, Business F1 magazine published a story titled “A vixen who infiltrated Williams,” portraying Schwarz in a sensationalist manner.
“Dark haired, displaying a vixen like attractiveness combined with extreme confidence, she uses her feminine wiles to get a foot through the door and when she has a man in her sights they had better look out because when in charm mode she has an irresistible aura,”
Schwarz told that the publication’s allegations led to immediate consequences, including the loss of her business built over 25 years and layoffs of her employees.
She alleges in court that Dorilton orchestrated this and other defamatory stories, a claim the company denies. Mayer Brown, representing Dorilton, de Putron, and Dorilton’s chair Matthew Savage, declined to comment.
Schwarz’s complaint states:
“Dorilton made additional false statements to Business F1 magazine that were not part of any complaint, federal or state, filed by the plaintiffs, that included the plaintiff and her company, Stilus, LLC, ‘stealing’ over $6.9m from Dorilton and WIPH [Williams IP Holdings]. They further made false statements about the plaintiff Claudia Schwarz having an adulterous sexual affair with the former CEO of Dorilton, Darren Fultz … They were made with malice and with the intent to injure the plaintiff. The malice included an intentional attempt to destroy her reputation and credibility in the racing industry. They were further made with malice as an attempt to destroy her business.”
Dorilton maintains its claims of an inappropriate relationship between Schwarz and Fultz. During a deposition, Savage cited kissy emojis, scheduled dinners, and physical interactions as evidence, while Schwarz and Fultz deny any such relationship. Schwarz points out that similar emojis were sent to other executives, questioning the validity of the claim.
Schwarz alleges she was dismissed after conflicts with Dorilton executives and de Putron, whom she claims is the actual owner of Dorilton and Williams Grand Prix Racing. Dorilton asserts de Putron is a passive investor.
In August 2023, Schwarz filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida against Dorilton, Business F1 magazine, and Formula One for licensing its name to the publication. F1 settled with Schwarz confidentially, and she dropped actions against Dorilton and Business F1.
In late 2025, Schwarz countersued Dorilton and added de Putron, alleging interference with her contract and oversight of defamatory publications after she refused discriminatory orders and questioned Williams Racing’s Bermuda operations.
Her lawsuit alleges:
“Ms Schwarz complained about the various business practices of the Williams Racing Team through its owner, Peter de Putron as it relates to marketing. This included complaints as to the manner in which contracts and business operations were being performed in the country of Bermuda, complaints regarding defendant Peter de Putron’s insistence that the Williams Racing Team not be marketed to African Americans and the LGBTQ Community [and] complaints about not allowing participation to donate/support Unicef alongside all the other F1 Teams for Ukraine war victims.”
Dorilton argued in court filings that even if statements about Schwarz’s alleged affair were made, they were not actionable.
Separately, Schwarz filed a breach of contract claim against Williams and Savage in US federal court, currently stayed pending New York state case outcomes. Two cases in New York involve Dorilton suing Schwarz for breach of contract and fraud, and Schwarz suing Dorilton, de Putron, and Williams IP Holdings for libel and related claims.
In January 2026, Dorilton and de Putron filed a motion to dismiss Schwarz’s case, describing it as a weak response to their suit. The cases may be consolidated, with no trial dates set.
In April 2026, Schwarz filed a standalone libel lawsuit against Business F1 in Florida, with trial scheduled for June 2027. The magazine appears inactive, with its last publication in July 2025. was unable to contact the magazine.
Three and a half years after her dismissal, Schwarz remains embroiled in multiple legal disputes.
‘The investor is furious’
Williams Racing was founded in 1977 by Frank Williams, who owned it until 2020 when he sold it to Dorilton for €152 million (£134 million). The team has won nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships, with the last titles in 1997. Since then, Williams has struggled, finishing last in constructors’ standings from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2022, though recent improvements have seen them place fifth last year and eighth after four races this season.
In 2021, then team principal Jost Capito hired Schwarz and her marketing company Stilus to revamp the team’s branding. Schwarz relocated from Germany to Bermuda to oversee assets held in Williams IP Holdings, according to her lawsuit.
Schwarz alleges the relationship with Dorilton deteriorated after she raised concerns about Bermuda operations, questioning the legality of contracts.
She claims:
“It was eventually discovered that … Peter de Putron had set up the Bermuda operation for his own personal tax benefits. However, these operations were not being conducted in accordance with Bermuda law.”
De Putron described Schwarz’s allegations as “utter fiction” in a motion to dismiss, arguing no factual basis links her claims to her dismissal.
Another incident leading to Schwarz’s dismissal involved complaints about discriminatory instructions. Fultz alleges de Putron wanted to disinvite Wyclef Jean and Shaggy from the Paddock Club during the 2022 US Grand Prix in Austin, objecting to people of colour attending hospitality events.
Fultz testified:
“Shortly before I left, he was at a race in Austin in October of 2022 and WIPH was running its first experience event for fans that weekend, which was a performance by Shaggy, Wyclef Jean and Robin Thicke, and he was complaining about the demographic that was attracted to the event and that performers of colour were hanging out in our paddock club over the weekend,”
“It’s a Formula 1 thing. And he did not like the direction of the marketing activities.”
Schwarz alleges she confronted de Putron about these marketing directives in Austin, after which her contracts were terminated.
Shortly after, Dorilton’s CEO Bjorn Bergabo reportedly told Schwarz’s team that the investor was furious about the presence of Wyclef Jean and Shaggy at the Paddock Club, finding it embarrassing they thanked him for the invitation. Bergabo did not respond to requests for comment.
De Putron calls these allegations “incendiary” and “fabricated,” intended to distort the public record.
Schwarz also claims de Putron reversed plans to market to the LGBTQ community, citing a potential sponsorship with Saudi firm Gulf Oil and his personal beliefs.
She alleges:
“Mr de Putron instructed the plaintiff … as to the changes he wanted for the vehicle concerning stating that they can’t have any activations in the LGBTQ community because the Saudis would not accept this and that they ‘still kill gays and lesbians there’ and that ‘we won’t support this LGBTQ nonsense anyway,’”
Schwarz argued this limited marketing to certain demographics, reducing revenue potential.
She also raised concerns about de Putron’s decision to prevent Williams from joining the Lewis Hamilton Commission, which supports minorities in motorsport. She alleges de Putron told others he would rather sell the team than join the commission.
De Putron denies these claims, stating any such decisions were business-oriented to protect the team’s commercial interests.
Dorilton alleges Schwarz was fired due to poor performance and creating a hostile work environment. They commissioned a 132-page report from Harper Litigation Consulting and Research LLC, which criticized Schwarz’s marketing effectiveness and invoicing practices.
The report concluded:
“As an experienced professional in the areas of marketing and public relations, my conclusion is that defendants [Schwarz] did not come close to providing Plaintiffs with marketing and public relations services that were compliant with best industry practices or were at the level of reasonable skill and care to be expected from a competent and professional supplier of marketing and public relations services.”
Capito, who hired Schwarz, disagrees:
“We tracked the performance of all teams at Williams weekly, and Claudia consistently delivered on every KPI [key performance indicator] with her team while working within the budget,”
“Based on my experience working with Claudia at Williams, I do not believe that any of the allegations made against her are true.”
Schwarz describes the culture at Williams as a “classic boys’ club” where women were objectified. She denies allegations of an affair with the CEO and states she did not know him personally at the time.
Our Dear Leader, or ODL for short
Peter de Putron, 62, made his fortune in quantitative trading, using algorithms to automate financial decisions. Like many in his sector, he holds assets through various opaque entities in tax-favorable jurisdictions. Dorilton has resisted Schwarz’s efforts to depose de Putron, claiming he is uninvolved in management and her dismissal.
In October 2025, a New York judge ordered the royal court in Jersey to serve de Putron a deposition notice, noting evidence suggesting his significant involvement. Dorilton appealed, but the appellate court upheld the decision, ordering de Putron to pay Schwarz’s appeal costs and indicating he may have had personal reasons for her dismissal.
The court stated:
“The record contains substantial evidence that de Putron was directly and intimately involved in the management of plaintiffs, appeared to have been displeased with defendants’ performance in terms of the fan base they were engaging, and possibly was involved in the termination of plaintiffs’ contracts with defendants that forms the basis of this dispute.”
De Putron maintains a low profile, with few public photographs. Fultz noted in his lawsuit that de Putron avoids the limelight and even ensures no pictures of him appear online.
Schwarz claims Dorilton employees were instructed never to mention de Putron by name. Judge Borrok observed they often referred to him as “Our Dear Leader” or ODL. In communications, he was identified only as “A” or “AA.”
Fultz wrote in a 2025 affidavit:
“In order to communicate with Mr de Putron electronically, I would not use his name in my phone or in any such communications to maintain confidentiality,”
“Instead, I was instructed to designate Mr de Putron as ‘A’ or ‘AA’ or other names on my phone or other electronic devices when communicating with him through Signal and/or other electronic means.”
On one occasion, de Putron’s security badge at Dorilton’s New York office bore the name Ralph Macchio and a photo of the actor, leading employees to refer to him as Ralph.
For nearly two years, Judge Borrok allowed Dorilton’s position that de Putron was a passive investor, with his name redacted in filings. However, in February 2025, citing testimony describing him as a hands-on owner, the judge ruled redactions inappropriate.
In October 2025, Borrok noted:
“Significantly, the court notes that the record before the court indicates that the employees were instructed (including former CEO Fultz) to conceal and obscure Mr de Putron’s identity and role in the management of these plaintiffs.”
Both New York cases have been reassigned to a new judge, potentially delaying proceedings.
‘I have been fighting for three years’
Schwarz, facing multiple legal battles, is no longer active in motorsport marketing. She states:
“There is no grass growing for me anywhere in the marketing industry any more. My reputation, built over 25 years, and everything I created has been destroyed by them. Because of their allegations and campaigns, clients are even afraid of being seen next to me, the ‘vixen’ they tried to turn me into.”
The prolonged legal conflict has placed significant strain on her family life. She is married with a 15-year-old son.
Schwarz looks forward to trial, hoping her son will witness her fight for justice:
“I have been fighting for three years – for justice and for my son. I want all the evidence and all testimonies to become public. Most importantly, I want my son to be able to sit in the courtroom and see me standing up for the truth – so he knows that truth must never be buried, and that standing up for justice is something you hold on to – even when everything in you is afraid and it hurts.”
She views her battle as confronting powerful men who suppress opponents through threats, innuendo, and litigation.
“How is it possible in the 21st century that women are still reduced to the idea that they must have ‘slept their way to the top’ to succeed? To me it revealed a deeply disturbing culture where a small circle of powerful men treat women in degrading and demeaning ways while protecting each other.”
