Formula One 2020

[Lineker]

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The Williams family will leave the team founded by Sir Frank Williams more than 40 years ago after this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Sir Frank founded Williams in 1977 and turned it into one of the sport's most successful teams.

But after a series of difficult years, the team was sold to US investment group Dorilton Capital last month.

Williams and his daughter Claire, the deputy team principal, are stepping down.

The team have won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, and dominated large portions of the 1980s and 1990s.

But their last win at a Grand Prix was in 2012 and for the past two seasons they have finished last in the championship. Financial losses last year led to the Williams family seeking new investment, and that in turn has led to them leaving the team to make way for new management.

Claire Williams said: "With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport.

"As a family, we have always prioritised Williams. We have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the strategic review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.

"We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind.

"We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing, so this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.

"We are greatly appreciative of Dorilton's encouragement to continue, but in them we know the team will be in good hands and the Williams name will live on.

"This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team, but it is the beginning of a new era for Williams Racing and we wish them much success in the future."

Matthew Savage, chairman of Dorilton Capital and the team, said: "We fully respect the very tough decision of Claire and the Williams family to step away from the team and the business after securing new resources for its future.

"Claire's achievement in sustaining Williams Racing's heritage, relevance and commitment to innovation in a difficult environment since taking charge in 2013 has been nothing short of monumental.

"She has also been hugely instrumental in shaping a more level technical and financial playing field for F1, which will help to ensure the team's return to the front of the grid in seasons to come.

"We are proud to carry the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport."

Savage, Dorilton Capital chief executive Darren Fultz and James Matthews - a former British racing driver and current chief executive of investment advisory firm Eden Rock Group - now make up the team's board of directors.

British driver George Russell, who is driving for the Williams team this season, said: "It's sad to see the Williams family step aside, but the history of Williams will still remain.

"We'll still remain under Williams Racing, and still continue to fight and represent the family name."

Frank Williams founded Williams Grand Prix Engineering with Patrick Head in 1977, and the two forged one of the great partnerships in F1 history.

With Williams as team boss and Head as technical director, the team soon rose to the top of F1 and were responsible for some of the sport's greatest cars and most successful eras.

Their FW07 won their first race with Clay Regazzoni at the 1979 British Grand Prix, before Australian Alan Jones went on to take Williams's first drivers' title in 1980.

Drivers' championships followed in 1982 with Keke Rosberg, 1987 with Nelson Piquet, 1992 with Nigel Mansell, 1993 with Alain Prost, 1996 with Damon Hill and 1997 with Jacques Villeneuve.

They won constructors' titles in 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997.

Along the way, Williams designed some of the most innovative and celebrated cars in F1, including the FW14B and FW15 of 1992 and 1993, which were packed with new technology such as active suspension.

They were also instrumental in establishing the careers of some of F1's greatest engineering names.

Ross Brawn, who went on to become technical director at Ferrari through the team's dominant era of the early 2000s, and win the championship with his own team in 2009, started his career at Williams.

And Adrian Newey, the sport's most celebrated and successful design engineer, first came to prominence at Williams in the early 1990s, before moving on to win further titles with McLaren and then Red Bull.

 

 

[Bobfoc]

Very much the end of an era.

[Lineker]

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Lewis Hamilton said he used to "dream" of driving for Williams while Sebastian Vettel recalled fond memories of the team's former glories, as F1's multi world champions reacted to the Grove outfit's big news at the Italian GP.

It was confirmed on Thursday the Williams family would leave the team founded by Sir Frank Williams more than 40 years ago after this weekend's race - following the recent takeover by US investment firm, Dorilton Capital.

Both Sir Frank, 78, and daughter Claire, who took over day-to-day control of the team when becoming deputy team principal beneath her father in 2013, will vacate their roles at one of the sport's most iconic and successful stables - although the Williams name will still be in use.

Mercedes driver Hamilton led tributes to Williams, particularly Sir Frank.

"I'm a big fan of Sir Frank and his incredible contribution to the sport," said Hamilton, the six-time F1 champion and 2020 leader. "He was always so positive to me and was one of the people I respected most here.

"He was probably one of the most honest, if not the most honest people in Formula 1. And so definitely sad to see an end of a chapter, but I think the legacy will continue."

Hamilton has never raced for Williams - although Sir Frank did try to sign him as a youngster before his move to McLaren - and their stars have not aligned in recent years, with driver and team at contrasting ends of the grid.

But Hamilton admitted: "I was hopeful at some stage that they were going to come back and be back at the front.

"I remember dreaming of driving the car that [Nigel] Mansell had, or one of DC's [David Coulthard's] cars or something... but it never turned into a real option for me. And that's when I moved obviously to Mercedes.

"But I wish them all the best and all the health in the world on their next endeavours."

Vettel, meanwhile, did drive a Williams, albeit only for a test after shining in Formula BMW as a youngster.

"I did my first test with Williams, Williams-BMW at the time, in 2005 and Frank was't quite sure when Mario [Theissen, then BMW boss] told him I was going to drive the car," Vettel, now at Ferrari, told Sky F1. "He didn't look very convinced!

"But obviously that's how we got to know each other and we have a great relationship.

"I never raced with Williams, but Williams is a team I associate with a lot of success. Brilliant performances in the 90s, German drivers, Heinz-Harald Frentzen but also Ralf Schumacher.

"It's a shame the team got beaten so badly in the last few years and was in such trouble. I hope the name stays and wish the best for Frank, and Claire as well."

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas made his F1 debut with Williams and said he would not be battling at the front of the grid like he is today if it was not for their support.

"I still remember the day I first went to the factory and met Frank," Bottas recalled. "They really believed in my and gave me an opportunity to show what I can do.

"Without Williams, without Frank - who was at that time very much in charge - I wouldn't be here.

"I'm forever thankful for Williams and how they helped me, how they helped me develop as a driver. I got my first points with them, my first podium.

"To be honest, I was quite sad to see the news that the family is stepping away from the race team. Even Frank, who was pretty much aside... it was his life project.

"The whole family should be very proud of what they've achieved, and if anyone doesn't know about the past they should just Google the results of Williams. What they achieved is really impressive for a family team."

 

 

It also turns out that one of the new executive board members is married to Pippa Middleton!

[Chris2K]

Renault are set to announce they are changing their name to Alpine for 2021. Assuming Racing Point change to Aston Martin it means that 4 of the 10 teams will start with "A".

[Chris2K]

They really have to consider staggered qualifying for Monza, one-two drivers out on the track at a time or something. As hysterically entertaining as this is, someone's going to get seriously hurt if this continues.

[Bobfoc]

Not the best start for Bottas.

Vettel's nightmare season continues.

[Chris2K]

Due to Hamilton's penalty, which was due to Magnussen breaking down, and the race stopping because of the way the tyre barrier ended up after Leclerc's crash, fucking Stroll is going to win this race. I've never known a human being luck his way through a sport like he does.

[METALMAN]

This is an interesting set of circumstances. Was hoping Sainz would hang on longer though. If Stroll wins it will be shite

Edited September 6, 2020 by metalman

[Chris2K]

I don't understand how you're allowed to change tyres when the race is stopped, or why you would be allowed to do anything to the cars. They're in parc fermé between qualifying and the race, but not when the race is essentially in progress?

One thing we can be certain of is that, because they're craziness happening, Hamilton is going to crash into Alex Albon at some point.

[Meacon Keaton]

I just tuned in; why has the race stopped?

[Chris2K]

Leclerc went off at the Parbolica and the tyre barrier was messed up to an unsafe degree, so they had to repair it.

Meanwhile, Lewis has a stop-go penalty for entering the pits during a previous safety car when the pit lane was closed, Gasly, Raikkonen and Giovanazzi all pitted before that safety car so are ahead of Stroll and Norris who were running P2 and P3, Stroll didn't pit, and has now changed his tyres during the stoppage, so will lead when Hamilton stops for his penalty, and probably win.

 

 

HAHAHAHA GREAT START LANCE, BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME.

[METALMAN]

Lol Stroll

[Bobfoc]

Mid-race stoppage aside, this has been very entertaining.

[FestiveJack]

I hope Stroll drops another place. Two McLaren's on the podium would be fun.

[Chris2K]

Amazing for Gasly, Sainz did a phenomenal job too.

 

Random fact, Honda have now won for two different teams since leaving McLaren, whilst McLaren still haven't won.

[Bobfoc]

Seeing such adulation from a winning team, rather than the "business as usual" response from Mercedes, is very refreshing.

[Katsuya]

Genuinely a bit teary at that for some reason.

[Chris2K]

Oh damn, Leclerc's there to hug him. Damn these onions.

[Gazz]

Would love to see the pre-race odds for a Gasly, Sainz, Stroll podium.

On 30/08/2020 at 20:55, Gazz said:

Pierre Gasly at Alpha Tauri who can get that car into the top six on occassion and compete with drivers in better cars while his team mate Daniil Kyvat drives around in 12th for the entire season.

I predict deese tings

[Katsuya]

Merc have got to be starting to have doubts about Bottas at this point, surely? The way Hamilton was breezing past the likes of Perez, there's no reason really that Bottas couldn't have been putting up more of a fight I feel like...yes, he might have had a little damage, but even then, this is the kind of race where if they do fuck up with Lewis, he should have had an easy victory.