Johnson joins the Williams team (From The Northern Echo)

Johnson joins the Williams team

10:53am Thursday 12th January 2012 in Formula One

WILLIAMS have joined forces with Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson in a bid to improve their performance on and off track.

Michael Johnson Performance Inc, a company founded by the athletics star, will focus on providing an intensive training programme for the team’s pit crew, as well as conducting an evaluation of the team’s training regime.

The MJP Center was founded in 2007 to train youth and professional athletes in all categories of sports, using techniques employed by Johnson that helped him win his four Olympic and nine world championship gold medals during his illustrious career.

Williams are to now utilise such expertise and training principles in areas of the team as they focus on improving all aspects of their performance for the coming seasons.

The partnership will see the MJP logo displayed on the sleeves of driver and team overalls, personnel uniforms and across the team.

Team principal Frank Williams said: “I had the privilege of first meeting Michael at the Belgian Grand Prix in the late 1990s.

“I have always admired the dedication required to be an Olympic champion.

“The attention to detail and the commitment required is what sets these extraordinary individuals apart from the rest of us.

“When Michael and I met again recently he explained how he had established a company that specialised in improving athletic performance.

“I was extremely keen to learn how he could help our team as there seemed to be a lot of areas of common interest.

“Michael’s sporting achievements speak for themselves, and the principles he used to become the fastest man in the world are certainly transferable into our own hugely competitive field.

“Formula One is about all aspects of the race. We all know how crucial the brief time the car spends in the pits can be.

“So it will be exciting to see how Michael and his team can help give us the edge in this respect.”

Johnson, who concedes to being “a huge Formula One fan” since watching that first race in Belgium, has no doubts he can play a part.