Williams shake up- Sam Michaels out?

[Number555]

Dont think this is a repost but taken from an unoffical f1 facebook page today:
When asked out changes that could happen at Williams, Sam Michael said: "Not could be, there will be. We are definitely changing the team – and that includes myself as well."

This means even as Technical Director, Michael could be gone after Williams endures its worst start to a season since 1979."

What do you guys think?
Personally i think he should go; as Williams have being steadily falling back with him there, they need someone bold and daring, not ancy shmancy....

edited to add more reliable source : planetF1

Edited by Number555 on Monday 18th April 21:18

[Number555]

and more detail here...

[EDLT]

Why are Lotus ranked ahead of the Williams in the championship results?

http://www.formula1.com/results/team/
1 RBR-Renault 105
2 McLaren-Mercedes 85
3 Ferrari 50
4 Renault 32
5 Mercedes 16
6 Sauber-Ferrari 7
7 STR-Ferrari 4
8 Force India-Mercedes 4
9 Lotus-Renault 0
10 Williams-Cosworth 0
11 Virgin-Cosworth 0
12 HRT-Cosworth 0

[Number555]

no idea, maybe because they have the same best finish but L comes before W? i dont know.

[courageous]

Williams & Lotus are equal on 0 1sts, 2nds etc...
they have 1 x 13th place each
but Lotus have a 16th compared to Williams next best 18th

[Streps]

Time for change
He needs to go.
Since 2004,
Michael has been Technical Director of Williams and what has he done?
Williams need to ditch the cosworth and Bolt a Renault or Mercedes engine.
And bring in some new fresh team of talented people.

There was nothing to stop Williams switching from Cosworth to Renault for 2011, but they clearly didn't think it was worth it.

(could of been a big mistake)

I'm still suprised they ditched Niko Hulkenburg for pastor maldonado.
especially after his poll position in Brazil.

[EDLT]

Maldonado is a pay driver, Hulkenburg isn't.

[smack]

He should of gone a long time ago.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

It's a little more complicated than simply laying the blame a Michael's feet.
There have been a lot of changes recently in terms of the team's financial structure (they floated in feb '11 I think). That could have distracted the new board of directors from the real matter at hand; the performance of the team and thus the car(s).
They looked pretty good in pre-season testing. Looked competitive. I even put them in my fantasy F1 team as I thought they had a lot going for them. Confidence from the last races in 2010, a good pre-season etc, etc.
But it appears they've lost their way. Barrichelo seems to have lost his mojo. Maldonado is a rookie. The car is no where so things need to change. Why has rubens lost his mojo? Clearly he's not happy in the car.

[JxT]

Oi_Oi_Savaloy said:

It's a little more complicated than simply laying the blame a Michael's feet.
There have been a lot of changes recently in terms of the team's financial structure (they floated in feb '11 I think). That could have distracted the new board of directors from the real matter at hand; the performance of the team and thus the car(s).
They looked pretty good in pre-season testing. Looked competitive. I even put them in my fantasy F1 team as I thought they had a lot going for them. Confidence from the last races in 2010, a good pre-season etc, etc.
But it appears they've lost their way. Barrichelo seems to have lost his mojo. Maldonado is a rookie. The car is no where so things need to change. Why has rubens lost his mojo? Clearly he's not happy in the car.

Williams looking good in pre-season testing had more to do with them listing than actual car performance. They were trying to get the offering away successfully and at a good price, which they did. The best way to achieve that was to run lower fuel runs in testing and look like they might have a cracking car.

Its the same trick Sauber used last year to get sponsorship.

Personally I think you are pretty generous suggesting that its more complex, and distractions being to blame. They've been consistently going backwards, and Michael has to take quite a bit of the blame.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

But Michael's just one chap. He can't be responsible for everything can he? I don't know him, what he's like but you can't just say it's all his fault. They must employ at least 300 people. There will be plenty of other directors whom have inputted their thoughts into the car (in terms of the direction to take) and guided Michael.

It's his ultimate decision and yes, perhaps there needs to be a change but on that basis perhaps we should be binning Parr, Wood and Tomlinson (, Chairman, chief designer and head of aerodynamics respectively) too. In fact, bin everyone!

All I'm saying is that it's not as simple as saying 'it's all Michael's fault'. At some point they have collectively gone down an incorrect route with the car but that was done collectively not individually.

Changes will have to be made of course and perhaps Michael will be part of that. I'm just trying to argue that it's not simply all his fault!

[pw32]

They shut one of the wind tunnels last year, let everyone go including a friend of mine. General consensus is apparently he hasn't been taking the team forward and the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

I also saw in autosport they were hiring for wind tunnel technicians recently. Whether that's number 2 back open or not I don't know.

[spunkytherabbit]

Oi_Oi_Savaloy said:

But Michael's just one chap. He can't be responsible for everything can he? I don't know him, what he's like but you can't just say it's all his fault. They must employ at least 300 people. There will be plenty of other directors whom have inputted their thoughts into the car (in terms of the direction to take) and guided Michael.

It's his ultimate decision and yes, perhaps there needs to be a change but on that basis perhaps we should be binning Parr, Wood and Tomlinson (, Chairman, chief designer and head of aerodynamics respectively) too. In fact, bin everyone!

All I'm saying is that it's not as simple as saying 'it's all Michael's fault'. At some point they have collectively gone down an incorrect route with the car but that was done collectively not individually.

Changes will have to be made of course and perhaps Michael will be part of that. I'm just trying to argue that it's not simply all his fault!

Yes you're correct in that there are a whole host of other people working there who have a had in the design and building of the car, but Michael as the technical director is the man paid to make sure they get it right, spot when they aren't doing so, and take action to remedy the matter.

With a very obvious slide down the grid to the point where they are fighting over the last few places and not the last few top 10 places, you gotta say that Michael has failed to do that. Pretty damingly so.

[Life Saab Itch]

I hope this is true.

The guy is under-qualified and under-experienced for the position. He acts like an arse, makes rash decisions and is only there because Frank and Patrick have some sort of Antipodean fetish.

[groomi]

pw32 said:

They shut one of the wind tunnels last year, let everyone go including a friend of mine. General consensus is apparently he hasn't been taking the team forward and the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

I also saw in autosport they were hiring for wind tunnel technicians recently. Whether that's number 2 back open or not I don't know.

I thought the cost restriction walls dictated that teams could only use one wind tunnel and only for a certain number of hours a season?

Could be wrong, but I thought that was the case.

[Life Saab Itch]

groomi said:

I thought the cost restriction walls dictated that teams could only use one wind tunnel and only for a certain number of hours a season?

Could be wrong, but I thought that was the case.

Williams were using it for developing outside projects, such as the F2 car etc.

This consultancy design work has obviously dried up to a certain extent.

[Henry Fiddleton]

I think Rubens has lost his mo-jo has he didnt expect this years car to be so poor.
Could be Ruben final year- I dont see him enjoying what he is doing these days.

All getting rid of SM et al, will also cause a few more seasons of pain as the team restructures take a long time to gel.

Williams should merge with Prodrive....

[skinny]

Oi_Oi_Savaloy said:

But Michael's just one chap. He can't be responsible for everything can he? I don't know him, what he's like but you can't just say it's all his fault. They must employ at least 300 people. There will be plenty of other directors whom have inputted their thoughts into the car (in terms of the direction to take) and guided Michael.

So is Newey. i know it's not quite the same but i don't think Michael will never be able to even inspire and lead in the way he needs to - i'm sure he's quite competent in vehicle design etc but is just in at too high a level.

[Life Saab Itch]

UKTrailMonster

[stuttgartmetal]

Will they fade away as the principals got too old, just like Tyrell et al who can tell. Its a long time since the glory years, and with Frank and Patrick now almost invisible it must be the board that looks at how to rejuvenate the team, and hold their investment.