Autosport 02/12/21

For any motorsport fan of the 1980s and 1990s, Williams is one of the big names of Formula 1. Even though success has been hard to come by in recent times, the name carries a resonance, one representing a fiercely competitive and independent spirit. Much of that came from Sir Frank Williams, and the tributes from many since the great team founder’s passing was announced last weekend demonstrate how much he was admired and respected, not just in the United Kingdom but around the motorsport world. As Adam Cooper shows in our tribute on page 4, Williams had to work hard – more than once – to gain a real foothold in F1. He finally hit gold when he persuaded Patrick Head (p8) and Alan Jones to join him, triggering more than…

The outpouring of affection for Sir Frank Williams following last Sunday’s announcement of his death was a clear indication of the respect in which he was held around the world. Former Williams drivers and people from all areas of motorsport united in expressing their admiration for a man who had achieved so much success, and yet remained at heart the ultimate enthusiast, always eager to see the next race or support the latest young star coming through the ranks. He also served as an inspiration to many by overcoming the dreadful road accident he suffered over 35 years ago to live a rich and fulfilling life against the odds. Francis Owen Garbett Williams was born in South Shields on 16 April 1942. His father was an RAF bomber pilot who left when…

I was working with Ron Tauranac at Trojan Cars part-time while building a boat in the Surrey Docks when I received a call to meet Frank at his works at Reading. I knew nothing of Formula 1, or of Frank Williams, but was completely broke and was happy to take his offer to join the long line of designers he’d had working for him. One week after I started, the deal with Walter Wolf was done and with that came Harvey Postlethwaite and the Hesketh cars. I was offered £500 to leave or to stay and work under Harvey. This was a great learning year for me, and I had the opportunity to observe without being in the direct firing line. At the beginning of 1977 Frank departed. I was with Jody…

Damon Hill He had us fooled on a number of occasions. But woe betide the man who underestimated Sir Frank. Determination and tenacity personified. He has earned his eternal rest 100 times over. Valtteri Bottas Thank you for everything Frank. You will be missed. Rest in peace. George Russell Today, we say goodbye to the man who defined our team. Sir Frank was such a genuinely wonderful human being and I’ll always remember the laughs we shared. He was more than a boss, he was a mentor and a friend to everybody who joined the Williams Racing family and so many others. Nigel Mansell Very sad news to hear of Sir Frank’s passing, he had an incredible life fulfilling so many dreams. What a fantastic team and family, we send our heartfelt condolences. RIP. Lewis Hamilton Sir Frank Williams…

The first Formula 1 race I ever watched was the 1987 British Grand Prix. We all know the story – Mansell stops to change tyres, chases Piquet down, and then dramatically passes him for the win, kicking off an incredible crowd invasion. That race made me an F1 fan, but it also made me a Williams fan. Sure, I was only three at the time, but in the next couple of years I started to recognise the names Frank Williams and Ron Dennis in the Autosport magazines that would arrive at our home in India. The concept of a man in a wheelchair being able to run a team that was winning all these races just seemed incredible to me. It planted this seed in my head that human beings can…

FORMULA 1 Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has defended the amount of time it can take for stewards to announce decisions on race weekends after criticism from fans. The past two race weekends have featured long delays for stewards’ decisions. Lewis Hamilton’s exclusion from qualifying in Brazil was only announced hours before the sprint race began, while a 21-hour wait followed in Qatar over three yellow-flag offences in qualifying. But Masi insisted that there were no problems with the lengthy waits given the request in the past for detail on the decisions. “All of you have always asked for more description in decisions rather than just saying this person is guilty or this person is not guilty,” he said. “You actually want as much of an understanding as possible of the process…