Sir Frank Williams RIP

Sir Frank Williams RIP

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Discussion

Glosole

49 posts

146 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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Back in the late seventies Frank Williams did a forum for the BRSCC and he was a total enthusiast even to a point of after a days testing with Alan Jones pounding round he recalled he loved jumping in to the the test car with the car and tyres hot and doing a few laps.
Racing was in his Blood he had passion for his sport even through adversity he will be missed.

carinaman

21,370 posts

173 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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Following the Peter Windsor video I wonder if they'll get a Saudia livieried Williams there for the weekend?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJL26bKxMB0

Would it/they need to run?

Running some of the Saudia livieried cars would be a fitting tribute, be a nod towards historic Middle Eastern involvement in F1, please the old school F1 fans and be of interest to the Netflix Drive to Survive audience, perhaps mentioning how much time Stroll junior spent in a Williams car and tick the road safety box?

The logistics of doing it would be of interest to the Netflix audience?

Having Montoya and Ralf doing a few laps would appeal to the US audience and link in to F1 past?

That Williams bought Montoya to F1 cements, confirms that it was about the racing?


'Drive to Survive' would seem as appropriate to the late Sir Frank Williams as F1 itself.


carinaman

21,370 posts

173 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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Milkyway said:
The Plato & Williams story...about 5mins in.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYHy4Pnb18
Excellent. Thanks for sharing that link.

pSyCoSiS

3,615 posts

206 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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A proper gentleman and a chap who genuinely knew F1 inside out. The word has lost an icon and a legend. RIP Sir Frank.

TheDeuce

22,210 posts

67 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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nismo48 said:
How special to receive that..
Those words are indeed inspiring..
A special man who will always be remembered..
R.I.P

carinaman said:
A letter dated 2016 from the late Sir Frank Williams. Just bringing it to attention of the thread.

https://twitter.com/MikeTV1990/status/146502082728...
Just... Wow. What a nice bloke.

Slippydiff

14,899 posts

224 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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Chunkychucky said:
Slippydiff said:
Panamax said:
35 years in a wheel chair after a younger life of such vigour. A salutary lesson about the risks of driving too fast.

Some great achievements along the way.

RIP
There's a time and place for such comments. This is neither.
Really, when Frank himself said the same..? rolleyes
Yes, really. I think that having had the "Speed kills" mantra rammed down our throats for the last 20 + years. the majority get it.

Now, back to the tributes to a fantastic individual.

ollygozza

26 posts

142 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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This news really saddened me.

I was fortunate enough to work at Williams for a couple of years, which was a dream come true for an F1 fan. The one thing that will always stay with me about Sir Frank was how friendly he was.

If I was ever working late and I passed him, whilst getting a cup of coffee from the canteen in the evening, he would stop me and ask what I was doing to be working so late. He was then always so genuinely interested in the conversation and asking more questions, before thanking me. Again, he would always say 'hello' in passing during the day, which more than I got from CEO's at most other companies I worked for.

A true gent, RIP Sir Frank.

vaud

50,779 posts

156 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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What would be a fitting long term tribute?

Rename one of the Silverstone corners e.g. Woodcote (that has only a tenuous link to Silverstone)?

fomb

1,402 posts

212 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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vaud said:
What would be a fitting long term tribute?

Rename one of the Silverstone corners e.g. Woodcote (that has only a tenuous link to Silverstone)?
A long lived and successful F1 team?

Milkyway

9,521 posts

54 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
quotequote all
fomb said:
vaud said:
What would be a fitting long term tribute?

Rename one of the Silverstone corners e.g. Woodcote (that has only a tenuous link to Silverstone)?
A long lived and successful F1 team?
Tribute: Perhaps a statue outside the museum.

vaud

50,779 posts

156 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
quotequote all
fomb said:
vaud said:
What would be a fitting long term tribute?

Rename one of the Silverstone corners e.g. Woodcote (that has only a tenuous link to Silverstone)?
A long lived and successful F1 team?
Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Murray Walker, etc have had corners named after them. Just an idea and I thought Williams has more relevance to Silverstone than Woodcote.


coppice

8,666 posts

145 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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Apart from Woodcote having been a corner a name at Silverstone since 1948 ... Mind you , given the depressing trend of referring to corners as numbered turns would anyone notice ?

DaveE87

1,144 posts

136 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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I remember as a naïve kid when I first started watching F1, being amazed at how much this guy continued to achieve even after his accident. I hope to see F1 community give him a proper tribute. He's a titan of F1. A corner named after him would be appropriate.

fomb

1,402 posts

212 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Isn't Turn 7 at Snetterton called Williams?

vaud

50,779 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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fomb said:
Isn't Turn 7 at Snetterton called Williams?
Yes.

But it's not exactly a track that gets a world-wide profile.

RB Will

9,674 posts

241 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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I’d be surprised if Goodwood are not already working on getting the whole Williams back catalogue together for next year, they did a good tribute to Sir Stirling

MClark0613

12 posts

29 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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I have been a fan of the Williams F1 team and Frank Williams since 1979 when Clay Regazzoni drove the Cosworth-powered Williams FW07 to victory at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Red 5 (Nigel Mansell) was my favourite Williams driver as he portrayed all the attributes shown by Frank Williams throughout his life and career. A sad loss to F1 and the engineering industry in general.

anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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pSyCoSiS said:
A proper gentleman and a chap who genuinely knew F1 inside out. The word has lost an icon and a legend. RIP Sir Frank.
That about sums it up. It was Williams who got me interested in motor sport in the early 90's. Very sorry to see him go, albeit not seen him around much for the last few years. RIP.

Lotus Elan +2

459 posts

266 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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carinaman said:
Following the Peter Windsor video I wonder if they'll get a Saudia livieried Williams there for the weekend?

It was on sky's The F1 show.
Damon Hill and Martin Brundle were the first two F1 drivers to drive the circuit in two FW07's

carinaman

21,370 posts

173 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Lotus Elan +2 said:
It was on sky's The F1 show. Damon Hill and Martin Brundle were the first two F1 drivers to drive the circuit in two FW07's.

Thank you for the heads up.


Tweet from the team for those that may wish to make a donation in tribute:

https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/status/14664847...