FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[cap-dude]

http://www.itv-f1.com/Controller.aspx?PO_ID=41331

An interesting point. Williams are the 3rd most succesful team in F1 ever.
But in recent years they haven't been so succesful, actually their last championship Win was with Jacque Villeneuve.
But it wasn't always so bad, they did keep winning races, until 2005 when they began to fall down the feild, where in 2006 Williams saw one of their worst years for a long time.

But now Williams claim to have turned a corner, so the big question is, can Sir Frank's team turn around their fortunes. As Briatore said himself a championship team don't just forget how to make a race winning car.

Williams have certainly made progress, and have possibly a future champion and possibly the greatest talent to arrive from the far east, Roseberg and Nakajima, plus if they are able to keep Wurz testing, they'll have no probelms with Set-ups.

Willaims are bound to make a come back, but will it be next year, or will we have to wait?

[racechick]

I really hope they do, but surely they need more money?

[Martin]

I think that next year will be a better year for Williams, and I would expect them to score more points, but I think that other teams will also make progrees - Honda, BMW, RBR so next season should be more competitive in the best of the also rans but, probably the main prizes will still be won by McL & Ferrari. Nice to see others making dents in these 2 though.
I think that the lack of Tyre warmers and T.C. will place more emphasis on the driver, so the chassis/ engine will be less of an advantage, so, maybe Williams will do well, they have the drivers to do it.
I predict that Honda will be most improved for many reasons - the 2008 car must be better than the 2007 barrel of bricks and J.B in particular will benefit from no TC when compared to other drivers. And, Honda are starting from a much lower place so improvement will, in theory anyway, be easier.
Good luck to Williams though.

[texasmr2]

Atleast they dont have to pay for their engine's in '08 so that's a big saving's.

[7UpJordan]

Frank and Patrick may have possibly played their cards right once again, I think the team will be able to pick up a few wins next year. Also Nakajima being a great prospect AND Toyota backed means they're getting their engines for free. 20 years ago when they refused to hire a Japanese driver when Honda were giving them engines, Honda pulled the plug and Williams were stuck with unreliable and weak Judd engines for 1988 because Frank refused to submit to Honda's demands and wouldn't be held to ransom, today with hiring Nakajima, he's possibly played an Ace.

Reliability was solid last season, a MASSIVE improvement over 2006 when the car broke down too much (not because of the Cosworth engine they used) and only Ferrari, McLaren and Renault had better reliability. They've had a brand new supercomputer installed by Lenovo which is extremely powerful and helped improve the FW29's development in the closing stages of the season finally allowing Rosberg to put one over the BMW's he'd slugged it out against throughout the season.

Rosberg has been made number 1 driver for next year, but don't underestimate Nakajima, he's very fast, he managed to set a faster personal best lap at Interlagos than not only Rosberg but Alonso as well.

Strategy has also improved, Wurz's 1 stopper at Canada put him on the podium and Nico's strategy of a long middle stint in Brazil paid dividends.

As Wurz said a lot throughout last season, Williams will get back to the top, it's not a question of if, but only when.

[madbrad]

The problem is that other teams will also improve. I'm sad that the day of the garagiste is long gone. It's a factory league now.

[7UpJordan]

The problem is that other teams will also improve. I'm sad that the day of the garagiste is long gone. It's a factory league now.

The question is how much everyone will improve, someone is bound to go backwards like Honda did this year, but who?

[deMuRe]

I like Frank and Patrick, but I fear the day of the Privateer is no longer here.

The best they can do is have a solid season and sell...

[Martin]

The problem is that other teams will also improve. I'm sad that the day of the garagiste is long gone. It's a factory league now.

The question is how much everyone will improve, someone is bound to go backwards like Honda did this year, but who?

Renault?

[8-ball]

I like Frank and Patrick, but I fear the day of the Privateer is no longer here.

The best they can do is have a solid season and sell...

its time for Williams to go. the current climate of F1 is spiralling costs and they just will not be able to keep up. They should do what eddie jordan did, sell up and enjoy retirement.

[7UpJordan]

I like Frank and Patrick, but I fear the day of the Privateer is no longer here.

The best they can do is have a solid season and sell...

its time for Williams to go. the current climate of F1 is spiralling costs and they just will not be able to keep up. They should do what eddie jordan did, sell up and enjoy retirement.

They won't sell up anytime soon, the team's on the way back up, even when they hit a real low in 2006 they didn't sell up, they just started from scratch again and now look where they are.

Even when Frank and Patrick call it a day, they will want the Williams name to continue in F1, look at Ferrari and McLaren, their founders are no longer with us and their teams are still around today with their names.

[deMuRe]

I like Frank and Patrick, but I fear the day of the Privateer is no longer here.

The best they can do is have a solid season and sell...

its time for Williams to go. the current climate of F1 is spiralling costs and they just will not be able to keep up. They should do what eddie jordan did, sell up and enjoy retirement.

They won't sell up anytime soon, the team's on the way back up, even when they hit a real low in 2006 they didn't sell up, they just started from scratch again and now look where they are.

Even when Frank and Patrick call it a day, they will want the Williams name to continue in F1, look at Ferrari and McLaren, their founders are no longer with us and their teams are still around today with their names.

I hope they have found a driver they can work with (Rosberg) and he grows with the team during their rebuilding phase.

They have a talented Aussie running the technical side, (still under the watchful eye of Patrick), they have a fast driver who seems to get along with them (for a change) and let's hope they can help build Toyota up as well. I would almost garantee those engines are in exchange for chassis data, something Williams have always done well.

Nothing would make me happier then to see Frank and Patrick embrace a driver for a change, make him part of the family, nurture him, not stick him in the cockpit and say "Shut up and drive or fark off" like they have done in the past.

For the last true Privateer team to do well in F1 would bring a big smile to my face, that means romance is not dead just yet in this sport we all love.

Now all we need is Adrian Newey to show that you can still design a bl00dy quick F1 car using black art (a common phrase for the one man band technical designer) and my faith in F1 will be somewhat restored.

If williams just can't keep up with the budgets of the big Manufacturer teams and Adrian Newey can't make a difference at Red Bull I'm going to turn into a very cranky cynical bar steward, I'm halfway there already with my conspiracy theories and views on F1's policy of greed.

[Martin]

[quote="deMuRe"][quote="7UpJordan"][quote="8-ball"][quote="deMuRe"]I like Frank and Patrick, but I fear the day of the Privateer is no longer here.



Nothing would make me happier then to see Frank and Patrick embrace a driver for a change, make him part of the family, nurture him, not stick him in the cockpit and say "Shut up and drive or fark off" like they have done in the past.

Slight change of subject, does anyone remember the Hesketh Racing team?. Very succesful for 1 season. That was soooo much of a 'family' team. Everyone in the team was encouraged and respected, it was a great atmosphere, ran out of money though. Williams could use a bit more of that philosophy (not the running out of money bit!!).

[madbrad]

I do remember Lord Hesketh's team. IIRC it had no sponsor money to speak of, just his own money getting thrown at it until he could no longer afford it.

[texasmr2]

They were before my time and the end of such passion ended with Ken Tyrell, god rest his soul.

Here is a history of the Hesketh team:

Constructors' Titles
4th in 1975 Drivers' Titles
4th in 1975 (Hunt) Engine History
Ford (1974-77)
Only win 1975 Holland (Hunt)


Team Profile
Lord Alexander Hesketh was a man born with a passion for motor sport and the sort of fortune that could afford him his own team to play with. He set up his operation in 1972 from his stately home at Easton Neston and at first concentrated on Formula 3 with the help of his friend Anthony Horsley.
At this time James Hunt was struggling to make a name for himself. Luckily for him he met up with Horsley who agreed to run a Formula 3 car for him with the financial backing of Hesketh. In 1973 Hesketh bought a Formula 2 Surtees for James, who promptly wrote it off in testing. Hesketh decided to go the whole hog and rented a F1 car instead. Hunt took a third place in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and excited by the prospect of finally getting into the big league Hesketh ordered a March car and persuaded Harvey Postlethwaite to design a car for him.

Hunt proved that the lord's confidence in him was well-founded with points coming in France, at Silverstone and a stunning second place at Watkins Glen. During their first season in the circus the Hesketh team was often frowned upon by the more established teams, with their penchant for parties and champagne-toting butlers in the pitlane. All this simply masked the latent talent in the team. It finally emerged in 1974 when Hunt took a popular win in the International Trophy. With their teddy bear mascot Hesketh Racing captured the imagination of the British public, although the first championship win was still a year away.

The first and only win for the team came at Zandvoort when Hunt gambled on an early change to slicks before crossing the line just yards ahead of Lauda's Ferrari.

By 1976 the cost of the team was becoming too much for even Lord Hesketh's voluminous coffers and several teams were showing interest in Hunt, most notably McLaren who needed to replace Fittipaldi who had left to drive the family car for Copersucar. Hunt quit Hesketh and went on to win the 1976 title in dramatic style. Hesketh called a halt to the operation and sold his cars to Frank Williams, who was embarking on an ill-fated partnership with Walter Wolf.

Horsley continued to race an uprated version of the car for a few more years employing paying drivers, but few were ever of the calibre of Hunt and eventually the team was wound up. The last great romantic of British racing was gone.


Season by Season
1974 Entrant Driver(s)
Hesketh Racing Scheckter, Hunt
1975 Entrant Driver(s)
Hesketh Racing Lunger, Hunt
Warsteiner Brewery Ertl
Polar Caravans Palm
Custom Made Harry Stiller Racing Jones
1976 Entrant Driver(s)
Hesketh Racing Riberio, Ertl, Stommelen
Penthouse Rizla Racing Edwards
1977 Entrant Driver(s)
Hesketh Racing Ertl, Rebaque, Ashley
Penthouse Rizla Racing Keegan
1978 Entrant Driver(s)
Olympus Cameras-Hesketh Racing Daly, Galica, Cheever