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THE CHECKED FLAG will fall this Sunday in Monza on one of the biggest family businesses in sport.
And sad goodbyes to the “most respected and honest” man in Formula One.
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The Italian Grand Prix marks the last time the Williams family will oversee their F1 team since its formation in 1977.
Both Sir Frank Williams, who has been in motorsport for an incredible 54 years, and his daughter Claire, who has led the team since 2013, will step aside after selling to American investment firm Dorilton Capital.
The pair leave an incredible legacy, one they did not lose to six-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Mercedes superstar stated: “I am a huge fan of Sir Frank and his incredible contribution to the sport.
“He was always very positive about me as one of the people I respected the most, and he was one of the most honest people, if not the most, in Formula One. So it’s definitely sad to see the end of a chapter.
“But the legacy will continue as the team will keep the Williams name.
“I was hoping that at some point they would come back to the front of the grid.
“I remember dreaming of driving the car that Nigel Mansell had, but it never became an option and that’s when I moved to Mercedes.”
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas started his F1 career with Williams.
He said: “I am very sad. Without Williams, especially Frank, I wouldn’t be here. “
Williams was THE name in F1 in the 1980s and 1990s, with its drivers winning seven world championships and the team winning nine constructors’ titles.
Sir Frank, 78, founded Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1969, with a custom Brabham chassis.
But the team’s roots in F1 began in 1977 with the formation of Williams Grand Prix Engineering with Sir Patrick Head, who operated out of a former warehouse in Oxfordshire that had previously been used to make carpets.
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The team won its first race in 1979 and unsurprisingly it was the British GP won by Clay Regazzoni, while Alan Jones took the drivers’ title the following year.
Despite being quadriplegic as a result of a car accident in 1985, Williams continued to lead the team, accumulating a total of 114 victories, 128 pole positions, nine constructors ‘titles and seven drivers’ championships.
Jacques Villeneuve’s crown in 1997 was his last, while Pastor Maldonado’s surprising victory at the 2012 Spanish GP was his last GP victory – a subsequent garage fire ended Sir Frank’s speech to the team.
Stars like Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet have driven for the famous team.
And on a technical level, legendary designers Head, Adrian Newey and Paddy Lowe have also held positions at Williams.
But there have also been considerable casualties and one that overshadowed the team’s track success.
Frank never spoke to anyone about it. But you can see the pain in his eyes every time he thinks about the accident.
Claire Williams on Frank’s feelings after Ayrton Senna’s death
That was Senna’s death in Imola in 1994, when Williams was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Italy.
Sir Frank was later acquitted, but the pain of losing the Brazilian at the relatively young age of 34 had a huge and lasting impact.
In an interview last year to mark the 25th anniversary of Senna’s death, Claire Williams revealed: “Frank never spoke to anyone about it.
“That is not his personality. He’s not the type to go to therapy or have long conversations. He keeps it all.
“This is how they have raised him, but you can see the pain in his eyes every time you think about the accident.”
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Under the leadership of his daughter, the team started with good results in 2014 and 2015, but have since fallen to the bottom of the grid.
Unable to match the spending of their rivals, the team posted a £ 13 million loss in 2019, forcing them to seek a strategic overhaul and ultimately the sale to Dorilton and safeguarding the future of the team as well as around. than 600 jobs.
Matthew Savage, President of Dorilton Capital and Williams Grand Prix Engineering, said: “We are proud to take the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport.”
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