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F1-tallin kauppakirjoista löytyy kiinnostava kirjainyhdistelmä. VIIME viikolla uutisoitiin, että Williamsin F1-talli on myyty. On ilmoitettu, että uusi omistaja on yhdysvaltalainen sijoitusyhtiö Dorilton Capital.
Sillä ei ole aiemmin ollut mitään yhteyksiä formula ykkösiin.
Kun kauppaa on ryhdytty tarkemmin penkomaan, on paljastunut, että Williams onkin itse asiassa myyty Dorilton Capitalin brittiläiselle tytäryhtiölle BCE Limitedille.
Mystisestä BCE Limitedistä on vaikea löytää tietoja, mutta kirjaimet BCE ovat alkaneet kiinnostaa formulapiireissä.
Ne ovat samat kuin Bernie Ecclestonen koko nimen Bernard Charles Ecclestonen etukirjaimet.
PALAAKO siis 89-vuotias teräsvaari Ecclestone F1-sarjaan Williams-tallin kautta, tavalla tai toisella?
Ecclestone on aiemmin kertonut haluavansa auttaa Williams-tallin perustajaa Frank Williamsia ostajaehdokkaiden löytämisessä.
– Etsin ihmisiä, jotka haluaisivat lähteä mukaan. Toivon, että löydämme jonkun, joka pystyy kunnolla pyörittämään tallia. Olisi kauheaa menettää sellainen historiallinen talli, Ecclestone sanoi kesäkuussa uutistoimisto AFP:lle.
Ecclestone osti Brabham-tallin vuonna 1972. Hän oli tallipäällikkönä ennen kuin nousi koko formula ykkösten päämoguliksi.
F1 has staged all of its races through 2020 so far behind closed doors as part of the COVID-19 event protocols, with reduced numbers of paddock personnel also permitted to attend.
F1 officials had been hopeful of getting fans back to races from the autumn onwards, but both this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix and next week’s Italian Grand Prix take place behind closed doors.
Mugello has now formally confirmed that it will be opening its doors to fans next month when it hosts its maiden F1 grand prix, albeit on heavily reduced numbers.
There will be 2,880 tickets on sale for each day of the Tuscan Grand Prix, split across three grandstands.
“During the three-day GP, 2,880 spectators can attend the event every day: 1,000 in Tribuna Centrale, [and] 1,000 in Tribuna Materassi,” an announcement from Mugello reads.
“Members of Scuderia Ferrari clubs will be offered a private allocation of 880 tickets available for purchase for Tribuna 58.
“A detailed operating plan, presented by Mugello Circuit and approved by Regione Toscana, contains all the anti-COVID-19 actions envisaged in this circumstance to guarantee the maximum safety for all attendees.
“Tickets will be available from Tuesday 1 September.”
The race will be Ferrari’s 1,000th grand prix as a team in F1, with the Italian manufacturer set to enjoy title sponsorship for the event.
F1 plans to open the Russian Grand Prix up to fans at the end of September, with the promoters of the race in Sochi hoping to allow around 30,000 spectators through its gates, running at around half of its regular capacity.
It is also understood that the returning Portuguese Grand Prix, taking place at the Algarve International Circuit in October, is being targeted at having between 50,000 and 60,000 fans permitted to attend.
The season finale in Abu Dhabi is set to run behind closed doors, but there is an ongoing evaluation for the back-to-back races in Bahrain to also be opened up to fans.
The race was so uneventful that I think most people spent the race wondering how many millions that Ferrari wasted down their R&D budget over the years. At least that's what I did when watching the race.
If Sebastian Vettel fails to secure a spot on the grid for 2021, he'll still have the luxury of driving an F1 car next year, and what a legendary machine it will be.
Vettel is a true scholar of the sport, and his keen interest in history has led him to acquire Nigel Mansell's 1992 championship-winning Williams FW14B, according to a report from Germany's Bild.
The iconic 'Red 5"' machine, which was last auctioned off by Bonhams in 2019 for an estimated £3 million, was ahead of its time thanks to its sophisticated hydraulic active suspension, a semi-automatic paddle shift gearbox and traction control.
Powered by a 3.5-litre V10 Renault engine, the FW14B was designer Adrian Newey's first masterpiece and the level of domination the car achieved in 1992 was outstanding.
Mansell went to town with 'Red 5', winning nine races out of the the championship's 16 rounds - a record at the time, while teammate Riccardo Patrese also collected a win.
One can only hope that Vettel will savour at some point the legendary car and not just keep it as a static display in his garage.
Daniel Ricciardo says a set-up "discovery" that first emerged at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix has been key to getting his Renault in to a sweet spot of performance.
The French manufacturer is heading to the Italian Grand Prix bullish about its chances after an encouraging showing in Belgium last weekend.
While the strong form at Spa was helped by the Renault RS20 being better balanced in a low downforce configuration, Ricciardo thinks of equal importance is a set-up configuration that he first nailed in Friday practice at the second Silverstone race.
"There is definitely something we picked up from Silverstone - like a sweet spot," he said.
"I found it in terms of feeling in the car, 'right, this is where we need to run the car'. And we played around a bit here as well this weekend with it.
"And again there was one session, I think it was in FP2, where I was like, 'okay we found the sweet spot.' So there is something fundamental which I think we've got a good choke hold on."
Ricciardo feels that Renault now understands a lot more about the strengths of its RS20 car - and is hopeful that the set-up will carry over to higher downforce tracks too.
"I think we can get it working on high downforce tracks," he said. "It's not typical to low downforce. We can run it on all levels, so I think it's just finding what works best with a high downforce.
"It certainly brings the car alive. So yeah that's something which I'm pretty confident in, where the RS20 likes to be run.
"And I'm not sure we had something like this last year. I'm not sure we had like a real discovery like this last year, so that's been encouraging."
Ricciardo suggests the transformation of his Renault F1 car in low downforce trim could even be good enough for it to consider trying out some radical ideas in terms of wing choice at other venues.
"I think we have to assess, because obviously a lot of the time you go to a high downforce circuit and you just don't even question it," he said.
"We put the big wing on because that's going to be fastest, but I don't know. I wonder if we try running lower at some typical high [downforce] circuits, and accept that that's a weakness now, and maybe see if we can make something work more with a smaller wing."
Alfa Romeo Racing could go for an all-new line-up next season constituted of rookie Mick Schumacher and veteran Nico Hulkenberg according to Sky Germany's Ralf Schumacher.
Kimi Raikkonen has yet to decide his future in F1 while Antonio Giovinazzi, who crashed out of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, is also facing an uncertain outlook for 2021.
Along with his fellow F2 racers and Ferrari protégés Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott, Mick Schumacher is considered to be a viable option for Alfa, but the young German may hold an edge over his rivals given the marketing value of his famous name.
ix-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher believes his nephew could step up to the big time next season flanked by the perfect guide in the person of the Hulk.
"Everyone knows about the close co-operation between Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, it would make sense to place a newcomer there," Schumacher told Sky Germany.
"I also think they are looking for two new drivers, an experienced man and a promising driver. Maybe negotiations are already under way with Hulkenberg."
In 2019, Mick Schumacher tested for both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, and his uncle thinks the 21-year-old or one of his FDA colleagues could be given some mileage in a practice session this year.
"For Alfa Romeo, things are not going so well at the moment to say the least," Ralf Schumacher said. "You don’t lose much if you let a young driver participate on a Friday.
But if Schumacher Jr does get the call to join the Hinwil squad, it would not necessarily imply that Ferrari's other juniors would be left out in the cold, with seats potentially available at Haas.
"If Ferrari wants to accommodate the three juniors, this would be the logical option," added Ralf Schumacher.
Dickie Stanford is the Williams Heritage manager, formerly he was the Williams Team Manager and worked his way up from gearbox mechanic when he joined in '85.
Stanford was Nigel's #1 mechanic, so he has ALOT of prior experience with FW14B's. Even today he personally wrenches on the many historical Williams.
in 2017 in the middle of the night Stanford is trying to get the extremely complicated and finicky tech on the FW14B working for a historical Silverstone track drive.
His wife calls his mobile and asks where he was. He tells her the car is having some problems and wants to fix them before coming home.
She replies something like "You were working on that bloody car through the night 25 years ago and you're still working on it tonight, when will this madness end?"
He replied something like "love you and will see you tomorrow", finished hours later and slept at the facility like he'd done so many times before.
Perhaps Vettel will have Stanford's mobile number on his mobile speed dial list too
Jonathon Williams, FW14B and Stanford at Silverstone 2017
It’s the end of an era at Williams as the team announced Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams is to step down from her role after this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, with the Williams family ending their involvement in the team Sir Frank founded in 1977.
Sir Frank marked 50 years as an F1 Team Principal last year, having run two teams in that time, the latter of which has gone on to win seven drivers' titles and nine constructors' championships. His daughter Claire took over the day-to-day running of the team in 2013.
“It is with a heavy heart that I am stepping away from my role with the team. I had hoped to continue my tenure long into the future and to preserve the Williams family’s legacy into the next generation,” said Claire.
“However, our need to find inward investment earlier this year due to a number of factors, many of which were outside of our control, resulted in the sale of the team to Dorilton Capital. My family has always put our racing team and our people first and this was absolutely the right decision.
"I know in them we have found the right people to take Williams back to the front of the grid while also preserving the Williams legacy. I have taken the decision to step away from the team in order to allow Dorilton a fresh start as the new owners. It has not been an easy decision but it’s one I believe to be right for all involved.
"I have been enormously privileged to have grown up in this team and in the wonderful world that is Formula 1. I have loved every minute and will be forever grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But it’s also an incredibly challenging sport and I now want to see what else the world holds for me. Most importantly, I want to spend time with my family.
“I would like to thank Dorilton for their support and for understanding my decision. I would also like to thank our fans who have stuck by us through thick and thin. Our people at Williams have always been family, they have kept me motivated during the difficult times and it is them who I will miss the most.
"It is my genuine hope that the process we’ve gone through brings them the success they deserve. And finally, I would like to thank my Dad for everything he has given to the team, the sport and our family.”
Claire has been in Formula 1 her whole life, coming to races as a kid to watch her father run the team and then embarking on a career in communications, first at the Silverstone circuit, then with Williams in 2002.
Eight years later, she became Head of Communications, before taking Sir Frank’s place on the board in 2012 as the Williams family representative. A year after, she was named Deputy Team Principal, essentially taking over the day to day running of the team.
She helped turn Williams’s fortunes around, following up ninth in 2013 with two successive third-place finishes in 2014 and 2015 respectively. A brace of fifths were followed by two of their worst ever seasons – last in 2018 and 2019, with the team struggling in a tricky financial climate.
A rebound plan was actioned last year, including a restructuring of departments, and the results have been positive, the team now back in the pack and able to fight wheel-to-wheel with their rivals.
However, in order to take the next step, the Williams family realised they needed significant investment, and that led to a process which ultimately results in the sale of the team to an American private investment firm.
And while the new owners were keen for Claire to stay on in her role and run the team on a day to day basis, she has decided to take the opportunity for a fresh start and take some time away from Formula 1.
“With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport," said Claire. "As a family, we have always prioritised Williams. We have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the Strategic Review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.
“We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind. We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing, so this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.
“We are greatly appreciative of Dorilton’s encouragement to continue, but in them we know the team will be in good hands and the Williams name will live on. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team, but it is the beginning of a new era for Williams Racing and we wish them much success in the future.
“On behalf of Frank and the Williams family, I would like to say how incredibly grateful and humbled we are for the support we have enjoyed over the years, from our friends in the paddock to the many fans around the world.
"But mostly, we would like to thank our team. People who have worked at Williams in the past and present. They are the true warriors of this team and have made it what it is and we wish them well. Formula 1 has been our life for so long and now it’s time for a new chapter in our lives to begin.”
Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital and Williams Grand Prix Engineering, added: “We fully respect the very tough decision of Claire and the Williams family to step away from the team and the business after securing new resources for its future.
"Claire’s achievement in sustaining Williams Racing’s heritage, relevance and commitment to innovation in a difficult environment since taking charge in 2013 has been nothing short of monumental.
"She has also been hugely instrumental in shaping a more level technical and financial playing field for F1, which will help to ensure the team’s return to the front of the grid in seasons to come. We are proud to carry the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport and we thank Sir Frank, Claire and the Williams family for the opportunity to be part of this great British brand.”
Curious to see the longer term impact of the sale. Is the family dropping all involvement in the team? Was it just Frank & Claire, or were there some behind the scene Williams family involved as well? Wonder if the family kept a minority stake in the team, or sold outright.
How many seasons until the team gets renamed/rebranded?
Good question, Williams is a iconic name but from the 80's to early 00's so gotta wonder what it's true value it is to the investor's and potential sponsors.
Pat Symonds is probably when he read this in that press release.
She helped turn Williams’s fortunes around, following up ninth in 2013 with two successive third-place finishes in 2014 and 2015 respectively. A brace of fifths were followed by two of their worst ever seasons – last in 2018 and 2019, with the team struggling in a tricky financial climate.
It was primarily Symonds and his technical team that addressed their Williams aero woes by developing a simple aero design package for 2014-16 which resulted in those results. They developed a car which although good did have greater performance reduction throughout the race compared to MB with the same motor. Symonds had said they could not trust the Grove windtunnel which had not been properly calibrated in years and did not have proper laminar flow control on the moving floor part which could explain why Paddy Lowe and Ed Wood had their diffuser stalling throughout 2017-18 on the track resulting in lost downforce.
Then Claire bought the allure of Paddy Lowe and his MB success and let Symonds go as TD and hired Paddy Lowe.
Curious to see the longer term impact of the sale. Is the family dropping all involvement in the team? Was it just Frank & Claire, or were there some behind the scene Williams family involved as well? Wonder if the family kept a minority stake in the team, or sold outright.
AFAIK, all of Williams family shares were sold.
I thought it was UK publicly traded but not many shares were on the market. Supposidly Patrick Head sold most of his shares years ago, ironically to BMW whom he publicly fought so much with Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsports head).
The only one left would be Jonathon Williams who runs Williams Heritage, which is a very small organization (handful of employees and some volunteers) that maintains old Williams cars and run the museum.
There's another brother but I thought he had no involvement with the team.
Switching from Renault to MB PUs in 2014 was a big benefit to securing those results as well.
True, but RB won WDC/WCC from 2010-13 all with Renault power.
Like James Allison said a few years ago F1 performance is 40% PU + 40% Chassis + 20% Driver
Today I gotta wonder if he'd chnage that equation to 45/45/10 today?
Still it'll be sad day without Williams family in F1
Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has been put in charge of the French carmakers’s Alpine brand, in a move that looks set to trigger a renaming of its Formula 1 operation.
Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the Renault Group announced that it is restructuring its organisation to better focus on its key businesses – Renault, Dacia, Alpine and New Mobility.
A statement said that Abiteboul, who helped guide Renault’s return to F1 as a works team, would be in charge of the ‘creation, organisation and implementation’ of the Alpine brand alongside his current role.
One of the outcomes of the move is likely to be a rebranding of the Renault F1 team, to either incorporate the Alpine brand in its name, potentially as Alpine Renault, or operate totally under the French sportscar manufacturer’s identity.
There are suggestions that an announcement confirming the plan could come as early as this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Renault has declined to comment on the possibility of Renault being renamed, but Abiteboul himself is expected to talk about the matter during an appearance at an FIA team principals’ press conference at Monza on Friday.
The future of the Alpine brand had been in doubt several months ago amid the huge losses that Renault suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.However, it appears that new Renault CEO Luca de Meo sees a future for it, and value in diversifying Renault’s operations into separate entities and making them autonomous.
As well as Abiteboul being put in charge of Alpine, de Meo will lead Renault, Denis le Vot, Renault’s EVP of regions, sales and marketing will look after Dacia and Clotilde Delbos, CFO, will take control of New Mobilities.
The statement detailing the changes said: “This project aims to create a simpler and more results-oriented organization, while strengthening the cohesion, motivation and sense of belonging of the teams thus grouped by brands.”
De Meo said: “The company needs to change its ‘game module’ and move from a search for volume to a search for value and profitability.
“The organization around four strong brands and large cross-functional functions would make it possible to work in a simpler way, more oriented to the markets and customers, with a team spirit, to seek the best possible result. This is an essential lever for the Group’s recovery.”
Alpine is also involved in sportscar racing in LMP2 via the Signatech Alpine team, and there have been suggestions that a fresh project in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship could form part of the new push.
08-28-2020 | 10:20 AM
agree having MB PU definitely made Williams more competive in 14-16