Williams F1

[Munter]

thegreenhell said:

Is their plan simply to copy chunks of text from the Williams team's Wikipedia page?

In the last ten years they've raced as AT&T Willliams, Williams F1 Team, Williams Martini Racing, ROKiT Williams Racing, and this year as Williams Racing.

Yes but some people's tin foil hats have slipped a bit and they're struggling.

[Derek Smith]

jsf said:

What detail?

The whole rant is hilarious guff.

I'm not sure the whole of the post is guff.

They historically, publicly and unashamedly regarded drivers as something to bolt into the cars, very much like a gear lever, and if it broke, or cost too much money, it would be replaced out of the bin. It tended to be apparent by their treatment of their most successful drivers whom they lost to other teams, especially when they had won the WDC.

Frank and Head, although being a dedicated fans for the sport, often had their concentration broken by the rustle of money.

Williams trod their own path during the battle with Mosely. It was they who took the king's shilling.

There's a lot to be written about Williams, and not only about the great times and their poor times, but I'd love to know the ins and outs of their time during the conflict with the FIA. Things might well have been different had they stuck with the other team owners, but we'll never know.

Apropos nothing, and totally unconnected, didn't Frank negotiate a big contract with the FIA to supply the chassis for a formula about that time?

None of this makes Frank's management poor though, just different to the other teams' approaches, particularly Dennis on the man-management front.

One of the few great teams, to be mentioned alongside McLaren, Brabham, Lotus and Ferrari. One of the teams I saw from their start, through the great times of the 80s, in their battle with McLaren, and the trouncing of the Ferrari threat, and into their present decline.

I feel for the team members more than the bosses though who've had their time in the spotlight. The name should go, I think, as without a Williams or a Head as head, it's no longer Williams.

Edited by Derek Smith on Sunday 23 August 08:52

[Tyre Smoke]

Currently on holiday in Greece, please can someone indulge me with a précis? Williams sold lock stock and barrel to an American private equity outfit for not a lot of relative dosh?

Frank and Claire out the door? Chances of turning up as Williams in future? Or something else?

[Derek Smith]

Tyre Smoke said:

Currently on holiday in Greece, please can someone indulge me with a précis? Williams sold lock stock and barrel to an American private equity outfit for not a lot of relative dosh?

Frank and Claire out the door? Chances of turning up as Williams in future? Or something else?

Reports vary. It seems they might have taken a minority shareholding, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are not in charge. As to the positions of the Williamses and Head, it's not that clear.

There have been similar confusing statements from sponsors in the past, but I would assume there's a certain degree of control remaining with Williams and possibly Head.

[TheDeuce]

Tyre Smoke said:

Currently on holiday in Greece, please can someone indulge me with a précis? Williams sold lock stock and barrel to an American private equity outfit for not a lot of relative dosh?

Frank and Claire out the door? Chances of turning up as Williams in future? Or something else?

Yes, sold all the families equity to an American investment firm. All assets included, total value of transaction was circa 150m euros.

No management changes at present (including TP/DTP), they are reviewing and evaluating each part of the business. They have said they will continue to race as Williams, and I expect they will keep that name long term as it carries some value in terms of recognition and history.

I think you'll back from holiday long before anything interesting happens.. The new owners have their guys in the team now to evaluate and report back - a lengthy process to understand the full business and develop a plan ready to be revealed publicly...

Is Greece fairly relaxed (in a good not reckless way) about covid now? I'm heading over myself for a holiday in a couple of weeks

[anonymous-user]

Derek Smith said:

I feel for the team members more than the bosses though who've had their time in the spotlight. The name should go, I think, as without a Williams or a Head as head, it's no longer Williams.

Using that logic Renault, McLaren and Ferrari should change their name.

[carl_w]

jsf said:

Using that logic Renault, McLaren and Ferrari should change their name.

And Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo,

[Derek Smith]

jsf said:

Derek Smith said:

I feel for the team members more than the bosses though who've had their time in the spotlight. The name should go, I think, as without a Williams or a Head as head, it's no longer Williams.

Using that logic Renault, McLaren and Ferrari should change their name.

Indeed. McLaren stopped being McLwhen Ron left.

Ferrari is a bit different in that he died in harness and there was a car company.

[thegreenhell]

Derek Smith said:

Ferrari is a bit different in that he died in harness and there was a car company.

Ferrari sold his company to Fiat, but was allowed to remain in charge of the racing team.

Williams have sold their company and, for the time being at least, are allowed to remain in charge of the racing team.

[carl_w]

Derek Smith said:

Indeed. McLaren stopped being McLwhen Ron left.

When Bruce died surely?

[Fortitude]

Piginapoke said:

Fortitude said:

Interesting... ...what are the 'back stories' associated with the way the Williams team treated Canon and RJ Reynolds?

They dumped them for the Rothmans money

Piginapoke,

I’ll try to rephrase my previous reply to you, so that using one word ‘detail’, isn’t misinterpreted… …by ‘others’…

BIG thank you for taking the time, to KINDLY reply to my request for information.

I didn’t know that Williams had dropped Canon and RJ Reynolds for Rothmans. I wasn’t aware of that ‘detail’…

[Fundoreen]

what does this mean anyway? Sponsorship deal comes to an end and they sign a better one for more money.
The only people offended by this is some bozo with the cap and teashirt of the previous sponsor.

[Europa1]

Fundoreen said:

The only people offended by this is some bozo with the cap and teashirt of the previous sponsor.

Is this a casual alternative to a dinner jacket?

[Fortitude]

MY favourite film/video about Williams…

1993 Williams The Champions - Behind the scenes at Williams preparing for 1993

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCe-EFbdMc

This is when Williams were based at Didcot.

IMHO, great documentary, captures the essence of the team when they were at the top. I wonder what happened to some of the work force…

How times have changed…

[Blib]

Thanks for that!

[anonymous-user]

Fortitude said:

I wonder what happened to some of the work force…

How times have changed…

I know a few from the F1 and touring car teams. One of them made a mint when Williams skipped the entire touring car project when they closed the unit down, lets just say the skip was rather light.

[Fortitude]

Transcribed by myself, from comments made in the first minute of this video clip…

Peter Windsor: “…on the other side of the coin, I HAVE got to say that IT IS a great shame, because had Williams, I think, been better managed over the last few years, it WOULDN’T have come to this and Williams could still be the team, that we have known and loved for so long. That is a shame…”

The Williams F1 buy-out By Peter Windsor
19,180 views19K views
•Aug 21, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N74a3hO0heQ

[Fortitude]

jsf said:

Fortitude said:

I wonder what happened to some of the work force…

How times have changed…

I know a few from the F1 and touring car teams. One of them made a mint when Williams skipped the entire touring car project when they closed the unit down, lets just say the skip was rather light.

THANKS for sharing information like that... ...it is moments like this, that MAKE Pistonheads so good, BECAUSE it gives us all, an 'insight', a glimpse of not just money wasted on failed projects, but a Williams Management team, KNOWINGLY throwing money away into a skip...

[The Moose]

Fortitude said:

Transcribed by myself, from comments made in the first minute of this video clip…

Peter Windsor: “…on the other side of the coin, I HAVE got to say that IT IS a great shame, because had Williams, I think, been better managed over the last few years, it WOULDN’T have come to this and Williams could still be the team, that we have known and loved for so long. That is a shame…”

The Williams F1 buy-out By Peter Windsor
19,180 views19K views
•Aug 21, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N74a3hO0heQ

Does anyone take him seriously now after the whole Rich Energy thing?!

[SpudLink]

The Moose said:

Does anyone take him seriously now after the whole Rich Energy thing?!

I still watch his videos, but I do have to keep reminding myself that he was the first person to give William Storey a platform to spin his F1 fantasies.