Williams’s time holding out as a true independent in F1 could be coming to an end, with the team undergoing a strategic review to safeguard its future that could result in all or part of it being sold. In this video, Edd Straw traces Williams’s downturn from 1990s championship-winning powerhouse to back-to-back last-place finishes in the constructors’ standings in 2018 and ’19, looking at the key moments, decisions, missed opportunities and failures that contributed to its slide down the F1 pecking order.
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Why Williams is now willing to sell: https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-f1s-proud-independent-williams-is-now-willing-to-sell/
PODCAST: How appealing is Williams to buyers? https://the-race.com/formula-1/podcast-how-appealing-is-williams-to-investors-or-buyers/
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47 Comments
The detailed beaver rhetorically thank because park spatially analyse around a crowded granddaughter. boiling, ahead egg
The main reason in my opinion is terrible management. They would get new parts which were super good and left it. Never updated it changed it.
Reason : Claire Williams.
they could of had vettel in their car as he tested in 2005 as a BMW driver
toyota wasn't williams choice was it?? thought they changed cuz toyota pulled out?
I always thought Frank was always a bit of an arse. His arrogant approach to ditching great drivers shows his poor judgement. Without Head they would never have had the success they did. Head knew when it was time to step aside, Frank did not. I feel sorry for Claire. In reality she may never have been up to the job, but did not have a chance because of her dad’s presence.
Funding is weird in F1, sponsors look for the fastest teams while large companies only think of a takeover if the team they are supporting or looking at isn't making enough money to stay afloat. Poor track results from a technical and staff management standpoint laid the foundations for a privateer team that solely relies in F1 to make money to go under. The complexity of the technical regulations call for more funds to be invested yearly for a team to remain competitive while the unequal share of funds across the teams does not make relying on a steady income just for showing up a reality. With F1's current format (at least until 2021) and the global financial situation unfolding landing the largest blows on the weakest links a privateer team haunted by past mistakes in technical understanding cannot function properly, or at all. Selling was unfortunately the only option to even remain in the lower bracket of the grid without hemorrhaging money they clearly could not afford to lose. Past and current, internal and external decisions and factors all combined to end a loved team and its format and force it away from the sport.
That story with the Nakajimas is just splendid karma, having gone back to bite them in the behind. Unbelievable story.
Frank had to be number 1 and was too stubborn, they let go of good drivers, right after winning championships, think about that for a second, no other team or no other sport, would even think of letting talent go, but Williams think firing proven drivers, ppl that know the team, know the cars, have the experience, have the talent and ability is a good idea. Is it a shock after experienced Massa left they've been last ever since, how much do paying rookies know how to set up a car? Had frank took strolls offer, he'd still have 50-60% share of the team now they've nothing, heres a list of engineers that joined and left Williams at one stage or another Ross Brawn, Paddy Lowe, Frank Dernie, current mercedes f1 director of commercial engineering Geoff Willis and of course we all know how much they pissed Adrian Newey off, all these talented guys and non of them stayed, doing one of these things never mind all of them, their decline should have happened a lot quicker and if anything its a miracle they won at all. Towards the end they changed nothing and expected different results, thats the definition of insanity. I think this sums it perfectly in 2019 they missed testing, Claire(ppl blame more than whats fair on her) said fuck it, got a private flight and flew home, at a time when they were strapped for cash and lacking leadership
The reason is the arrogant daughter who couldn't run water. Full stop.
2021 won't be any different, but it's not Williams anymore so who cares.
People don't see how hard it's become for independent teams to survive in F1. Williams will probably be the last team ever to have been run by a family. I feel like they were fighting for the principle that first got them into F1 but these days the competition is too cut throat and things like emotional value or independence don't stand a chance to survive. It's not about one particular person in the management being bad, unlike some people love to imply.
Anyone wanna split a F1 team?
Nowadays an independent team can't survive. When there aren't as many manufacturers around, you have to find funding elsewhere, which can lead to "pay drivers" . I don't think Claire Williams was to blame for their recent problems, i respect that they wanted to keep it as a family team which worked back in the day but now with the advancements in technology, its become too expensive for an independent team to be competitive. In an era of cost cutting why did they move to turbo engines which are more expensive to maintain? Surely cheaper to run a naturally aspirated engine?
A lot of these issues can be summed up as Frank and Patrick not wanting to give up control
You forgot the appointment of Claire Williams
It's so sad to see teams leaving F1/being bought when they get to the last places on the championship. It's such a hard business.
Sadly, much of Williams decline can be attributed pretty much directly to Claire Williams. She seemed determined only to please her Father by keeping the team operating, and made few moves to get them team forward. The team was stuck in the past and didn't prepare for the future. There is hope for 2022 if they happen to have a decent aero / mechanical grip package, otherwise they will be years before the get a sniff of being really good again. Best thing to happen to them in the last 5 years or so has been selling the team. it allowed for big changes at the top which were sorely needed.
la última victoria de Williams fue con Pastor Maldonado en 2012 🇻🇪😎
George Russell Fault he doesn't know how to score in a Williams he needs advice from Pascal Wehrlein
Claire was a horrible team principal honestly constantly was stuck in the past
They definitely can't blame it on lack of good drivers
every time williams decline economic disaster came by
Can you redo this now that the team has been sold?
Lets be Real and honest here Frank Williams Ego also bring William down
This video didn't age well..
I have mixed feelings seeing Williams in such a situation as a part of me felt that Williams deserve to go bust, as I deeply believe that they are responsible for Ayrton Senna's death.
Frank stepping down is probably the best thing that could have happened to the team. Claire gets all of the hate but I am pretty sure it was frank pulling all the strings at the back.
1. Claire Williams.
Now we wait.
2014 was their chance. They had easily the second-fastest car alongside Red Bull. With someone like Alonso, they might have got him a WDC!
I mean, he finished P4, ahead of Vettel and Alonso in just his second year in f1. Massa lagged behind a lot. With a better partner Williams should really have got P2 in the constructors' and p3 and p4 in the WDC.
They probably would have done well for themselves to entertain papa Stroll's offer. Williams declined due to Sir Frank's ( may he rest in peace) stubbornness. He resisted changing with the times. I totally understand championing who you are, and I think identity is very important but they really boned themselves by not 'going after the money' earlier than they did. I couldn't imagine how bad it must have felt to continuously place in the bottom 5/shunt out of each and every race when not very long ago, they were fighting for top 5s every race. I don't understand how they haven't gotten better with their aero packages or anything that isn't the PU. They resisted using the Mercedes integrated gearbox and hydraulics until now ffs. That's just pure stubbornness overpowering common sense.
Let's hope Dorilton can turn things around for 2022 with the new changes and the leveling of the field.
Finishing top 5 in 2022 is doable.
Frank Williams undervalued people at all levels, and treated them poorly. This worked fine in an era where the new application of technology ruled. When technology became known to all, and the rules tightened up, having a healthy organization with great people working as a team became most important. When everyone knows the technological tools available, it is implementation that makes the difference. In this environment, it is people and their management that matter the most.
In the 80s and 90s, technology in F1 was in the hands of a few. Teams like McLaren and Williams dominated, not by inventing new technology, but taking technology from aerospace, electronics and other highly engineered fields, and then applying these technologies to motor sports. Virtually NOTHING in F1 has ever been truly new technology. The advantage has always come from applying the technology to a new use – motorsports. Carbon fiber? Used for years in aerospace. Active suspension and automatic gearboxes? Those are basically control systems problems that high speed machinery manufacturers and aerospace controls designers were very familiar with. Etc. etc.
By 2000, the rules had reigned in technology, and winning primarily became a function of having the right (huge) budget, having the right people, and running a great organization. I did not say driver, because if you have those things, you will eventually end up with top driving talent. Sometimes it works the other way too. Schumacher was successful at Ferrari by doing what Prost failed to do – improving Ferrari to make it a well managed organization, at least to the extent possible with passionate Italians. But success was dependent on having a healthy well managed operation. Frank Williams had a history of treating people poorly at all levels. From drivers to designers to low level technical staff, his organizations were not healthy. Basically, Williams has had crappy leadership and management. In the 80s and 90s that could be overcome. But in the modern era, it could not.
It is as simple as that.
Couldn't agree more about the Williams downfall was primarily down to Frank Williams and Patrick Head in particularly to the way they treated their drivers as well as trying to cover up blame over Senna's death.
Claire Williams never really stood a chance after taking over. Only wish she could have hung on for 2022 season in which Williams may finally have a competitive 2022 car to challenge the mid field with Mercedes engine.
Loss of the Rothmans livery
Only 2. Throwing Damon Hill out, Fckn Adrian Newey. Done no need to spend over 10 minutes.
Claire ruined that team, Johnathan should have been the team principal she ran it into the ground and refuses to speak to him to this day due to her pettiness.
The arse n' all of F1 ..
There is an 11th reason and she was directly responsible for the 2018 and 2019 seasons
9:36 that ain't happen. just like every new set of regulations, some teams are still waaaay further ahead from the average F1 team sadly.
a lot of people are saying things started going down hill after Claire became team principal, but she inherited a sinking ship.
I know this is just a pipe dream of mine lol, but now that Binotto is finally leaving Ferrari, I wish they and Williams could stop being so stubborn, put their guards down and fire that Inaki guy (Ferrari's chief strategist who's a huge 🤡 just like Binotto) for good and then unite (or at least collab together) for some time so they can do their best to bring back their glory days and not struggle so much anymore, otherwise they'd either have to leave one day (because struggling will only make things gradually worse, obviously) or make some major changes if they really want to stay and win races (and/or championships). I mean, no one wants to hear nor see their beloved and once great team(s) leaving F1, right? But first, they'd need someone who can lead the united/collab team properly, such as Jean Todt and Ross Brawn. Plus, they have nothing to lose (apart from races, unfortunately, if they keep up at this pace). I bet it would make for an unusual but glorious F1 story.
Everything I've read about Williams leads me to believe they deserve to be last. They brought it on themselves. Their past glory made them arrogant and stubborn.
With hindsight, I really wish they’d managed their 2020 car in 2019, because it would’ve been a solid midfield runner. But as is the Williams way, they’re always one step behind😢
Jonathan Williams would of done better than Claire
I thought replacing Pat Simmons with Paddy Lowe was a mistake.
THE RACE is 11 moment……..