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Formula One checkered flag
Drivers George Russell and Nicholas latifi summed up the feelings of generations of Formula One fans Thursday when they described the announcement of the Williams family’s crash outing as a “sad day” for the sport.
Claire Williams, the daughter of the team’s founder, Frank Williams, revealed that she would step down as the team’s deputy director following the sale of the team to US investment firm Dorilton Capital last month.
Both team drivers pledged to continue fighting for the team and the surname, making it clear that their unique legacy would be honored as they, and nearly all former Williams drivers and staff and their competitors, struggled to absorb the news. that marked the end of one. of the best teams in the history of F1. Williams won 16 drivers ‘and constructors’ world championships.
The departure of the Williams family also marked the end of an era for the sport, as arguably the best independent team came out, confirming in the process that modern corporate F1 is no longer a place for a family business.
Frank and Claire Williams said they would end their connections with the team after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where, with great irony, their big rivals Ferrari may find it difficult to avoid competitive embarrassment.
“It will always be special that I started here with Williams,” said Canadian rookie Latifi. “They have given many drivers their first chance. The culture that has been cultivated here will remain the same, that is something that will not disappear just because Claire and the family are moving aside.”
That culture, essentially British, competitive, innovative and mixed with the dry humor of the founder, allowed Williams to go from being seen as a peculiar independent team of ‘garagiste’ to serial winners, frequently surpassing the main rivals of the manufacturers of automobiles, including Ferrari, Renault, and Toyota.
Only Ferrari, with 16 titles, has more than Williams in total of nine in the constructors’ championship, but like another great British team, McLaren, it has not triumphed in a Grand Prix since 2012 and finished last in 2018 and 2019.
Latifi and Russell were informed of the Williams family’s decision to sever ties with the team and the sport shortly before Thursday’s announcement, a belated move typical of Williams’ business style. The team that brewed the best tea in the paddock and provided traditional British fried breakfasts were never in any way sentimental.
“It’s obviously a sad day for us,” said Russell, a driver who followed champions Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.
“For me personally, Frank and Claire gave me my opportunity in F1, something for which I am very grateful and grateful and the opportunity to drive for such an incredible and prestigious team.
“It is sad to see the Williams family step aside, but the history of Williams will continue to be under Williams Racing and we will continue to fight and represent the name.”
Frank’s daughter Claire, who has served as the British team’s de facto boss since 2013, said her departure as the team’s deputy director, following the sale of the team, was an appropriate move.
“Now that the future of the team is assured, it feels like the right time to get away from the sport,” he said.
“We believe that now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.”
Frank Williams, 78, began actively competing in F1 in 1972, but did not establish the team that won 16 constructors ‘and drivers’ championships until the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix.
He and manager Patrick Head formed a formidable partnership in the team’s glory years of the 1980s and 1990s, overcoming the tragic setback of a 1986 car accident that left Williams in a wheelchair and later survived. Ayrton Senna’s death, in a Williams car. , at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
