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Williams F1

Discussion in 'F1' started by BJMoravek, Mar 3, 2011.

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  1. Adrian Thompson

    Adrian Thompson Formula Junior

    Apr 28, 2004
    429
    Beverly Hills, Mi
    Full Name:
    Adrian Thompson
    Not only was Bellof the fastest car on track and catching Senna, if the race hadn't been shortened then Senna wouldn't have finished as it was later found he had a cracked wishbone and it would have either soon failed, or if it had been a dry race failed already.
     
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  2. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    And of course the ultimate irony of that race was:

    They waved it off to give the victory in "France" to a Frenchman. And Prost won. But: Because of the missing race distance they awarded only half points. Prost lost the WDC that year by a mere 1/2 point to Lauda. Had the race gone the full distance and Prost ended up e.g. 2nd to Bellof, he would have won enough points to win the WDC. Then again, Prost might have stuffed it if the race had gone on. But it was Karma, that he lost that year to the rat. I loved it.

    As for Bellof: Doesn't he hold the record on the Ring?
     
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  3. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447
    [
    Clerk of the course,Jacky Ickx was later suspended from FIA official duty, following his decision to stop the race in very suspicious circumstances, and without consulting the marshals. I don't know if Ickx wanted to favour Frenchman Prost, but he was a Porsche factory driver, and the McLaren had a Porsche engine.
    Also, there was confusion about the way the race was stopped, as the procedure hadn't bee respected.
    The red and chequered flags were waved together. Red flag means race stopped, chequered flag means end of the race .
    A race can be restarted after a red flag. The first to see the flags was in fact Ayrton Senna who by that time had passed Prost !
    But the rules say that in case of interruption (red flag), the order of previous lap is taken into account, so Prost was declared winner, and the Brazilian felt somehow cheated of a win.
     
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  4. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    ...there was confusion about the way the race was stopped...

    No kidding. I sat there across from the swimming pool in the soaking rain. Suddenly they announced the end and opened the track. We all started walking towards the train station. In Rascasse I came across a F1 car, that DNFed there. No guards. I was tempted to take the steering wheel with me, but decided to be a good sport and left it alone. Then I bumped into Lauda who was trying to get to pits. Finally I arrived at the train station where there were no trains ready, so the station was closed. Unfortunately I was the first to arrive at the closed gate with thousands of people behind me pushing. I was almost crushed by the masses.
     
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  5. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
    8,102
    The Horn
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  6. 05011994

    05011994 Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    May 1, 2004
    1,859
    Golden, Colorado
    Yep, they lost the plot when they did not sell to BMW in the early 2000s, they are circling the drain. They believed their own hype too long and it will cost them dearly. Desperate measures with no one to blame but Frank and Claire.
     
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  7. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447

    I don't know if Claire Williams was around the team when her father refused to sell to BMW.
    Anyway, I thought it was the wrong decision at the time, but I wasn't surprised.
    It was all part of Williams's culture to stay independent at all cost.
    The clash of personality between Patrick Head and Mario Thyssen of BMW sealed the fate of that association.
    Of course we can say with insight that BMW bought Sauber, only to abandon it a few years later.
     
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  8. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Perhaps one of the last times Frank and Claire have been correct in decisions of that magnitude !?!
     
  9. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    They would have been better off selling to BMW. They would have made a lot of money and bought it all back a few years later for pennies on the dollar. Missed opportunity.
     
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  10. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 28, 2005
    11,884
    And would have kept the car collection.
     
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  11. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    That assumes they think money is better than owning a F1 team.
     
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  12. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 7, 2003
    22,179
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    IIRC, just dropped a mortgage on it. It is the 2nd or 3rd time they've done that.
     
  13. All so obvious whilst outside looking in and hindsight's 20/20.........
     
  14. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
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    Could have been worse. They could have partnered with Rich energy as it was almost the case last year. But, still, how are they ever going to get out of the hole? Only way is selling the team now.
     
  15. ginge82

    ginge82 Formula 3

    Jul 23, 2012
    1,361
    Europe
    Full Name:
    Art Corvelay
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/52612208

    Can someone senior there just fire Claire already? This is just embarrassing. Salary, benefits and position without any of the hard work, knowledge or respect. Good to be the daughter of Frank I suppose.

    Anyone else would be long gone. No wonder the brother still resents that she got her role.
     
  16. Barbedwyre

    Barbedwyre Karting

    Jan 21, 2018
    115
    Are you trying to say that the role of Simon Roberts should be satisfied by Claire and b/c she had to hire Simon she is unfit for her position?

    Haven't followed Williams closely since the Bottas-Massa partnership. Is there any assumed reason why the brother did not get the position?
     
  17. ginge82

    ginge82 Formula 3

    Jul 23, 2012
    1,361
    Europe
    Full Name:
    Art Corvelay
    Yes. She was initially given a role she lacked any experience in, has performed incredibly poorly and they have spent the last few years diluting her responsibilities and work load, hiring others to do them whilst she retains all the benefits of that initial role. And they wonder why the team/company has become a laughing stock.

    They might as well hang a portrait of her in the foyer and pay her to stay away. Probably be more productive.
     
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  18. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447
    Is that why Enzo Ferrari didn't attend races ? ;)

    No to get in the way like Claire Williams does, you think? :)

    Only kidding ....
     
  19. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 31, 2016
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    Corpus Christi, Tx.
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    Exclusive: The owner of the Williams F1 team is said to be preparing to launch a strategic review that could lead to the sale of a large stake in the company 43 years after it was founded. An announcement could come alongside the results of Williams Grand Prix Holdings tomorrow.
     
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  20. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 31, 2016
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    Joe R Gonzales
    Williams considers Formula 1 team sale as company posts £13m loss

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    The Williams Grand Prix Holdings (WGPH) company has announced it is considering selling its businesses, which includes its Formula 1 team, in the wake of its ongoing financial struggles.

    Williams is one of the oldest teams on the grid, having first raced at the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix, and is still majority-family owned by co-founder Sir Frank Williams with a 51 per cent stake, whilst co-founder Sir Patrick Head holds a 9.3 per cent stake.

    In 2011 the company was floated on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange to raise capital and as such must release public financial filings and in its latest statement, WGPH confirmed it was exploring several options to raise funds, one of which is the “potential sale of the whole Company”.

    However the board are also considering other options of raising new capital or the sale of a minority or majority share.

    “As part of this new strategic direction, the WGPH board is undertaking a review of all the various strategic options available to the Company,” the statement reads.

    “Options being considered include, but are not limited to, raising new capital for the business, a divestment of a minority stake in WGPH, or a divestment of a majority stake in WGPH including a potential sale of the whole Company.

    “Whilst no decisions have been made regarding the optimal outcome yet, to facilitate discussions with interested parties, the Company announces the commencement of a “formal sale process”.

    Williams confirmed no offers to buy the entire company were on the table yet, but that it is holding talks with “a small number of parties regarding a potential investment”.

    The news comes as Williams is expected to be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and has already seen revenues fall to £160.2m in 2019 compared to £176.5m in 2018, resulting in a loss of £13m.

    Despite this, Williams insists it is ready to compete in the 2020 F1 season when it gets underway in July with the Austrian GP.

    “While the Company has faced a number of challenges, Williams currently remains funded and ready to resume racing when the calendar allows in 2020,” read a statement.

    “The WGPH board believes that the strategic review and formal sale process is the right and prudent thing to do in order to take time to consider a full range of options and put the Formula 1 team in the best possible position for the future.”

    The team also confirmed this week that it would split with title sponsor ROKiT and has yet to offer a full explanation for the reasons behind this move.

    https://www.motorsportweek.com/2020/05/29/williams-puts-formula-1-team-up-for-sale/
     
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  21. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 31, 2016
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    Corpus Christi, Tx.
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    Joe R Gonzales
    BREAKING: Williams F1 "announces the commencement of a 'formal sale process'" and is considering the "sale of the whole company"

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  22. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 7, 2003
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    That's all she wrote. Team is for sale in part or in whole. Their title sponsor is gone now, too.

    As part of this new strategic direction, the WGPH board is undertaking a review of all the various strategic options available to the Company. Options being considered include, but are not limited to, raising new capital for the business, a divestment of a minority stake in WGPH, or a divestment of a majority stake in WGPH including a potential sale of the whole Company. Whilst no decisions have been made regarding the optimal outcome yet, to facilitate discussions with interested parties, the Company announces the commencement of a "formal sale process" (as referred to in Note 2 on Rule 2.6 of the Takeover Code).
     
  23. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    Should we have a whip around? We could rebrand it “fchat racing”?

    in all seriousness it will be a sad day to loose Williams from the grid.
     
  24. DeSoto

    DeSoto F1 Veteran

    Nov 26, 2003
    7,481
    I guess the Latifis will do a Stroll.
     
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  25. Simon^2

    Simon^2 F1 World Champ

    Oct 17, 2005
    12,313
    At Sea Level
    Shocking,... says no one.

    Teams come and go,... but Williams was a powerhouse not too long ago. It's a sad day for F1.
     
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