Alright when was that again.....?

Silverstone 1992. I remember it was raining hard in qualifying, so all the drivers where sat in the garage waiting for track to dry. Then a very young Michael Schumacher freshly signed to Benetton Ford came out. Doing what where race laps on a wet track. The water from the wet rear tires flew up in the air. I knew there and then this man would be the next sensation in F1.
 

As a Brit I'm disappointed to see yet another leading British tech/engineering company sold to overseas investors but it is good that their future seems secure.

Importantly no name change and no factory relocation so Williams should retain the important elements from its' history. Hopefully, they will now have the resources to start properly competing again.

“In Dorilton we know we have found exactly that. People who understand the sport and what it takes to be successful." - slightly concerned at how vague this statement is, would be good to know exactly where their experience of F1 comes from.
 
Monza 2011. Very glad I made it to a race before the hybrid era as the noise was the best bit.

It was a decent race and we sat by the Parabolica and saw Weber crash out in front of us, which was amusing. Also enjoyed checking out the old banked circuit and soaking up the history of the place.

We were actually slightly disappointed by the rest of the weekend experience as basically there wasn't a lot else going on for entertainment pre/post race. Just a few eye-wateringly expensive Heineken bars. Given some tracks have concerts, fun fairs, museums, historic paddocks and the like it was a bit lacking. Equally given our tickets were something like €90 for a grandstand weekend pass I guess we can't complain too much as it was still exceptional value.

The other thing that stuck out was unexpected. Every year, the BBC/ITV coverage tells us that the Tifosi are 'mad' and that Monza has a special carnival atmosphere thanks to them. Whilst Ferrari fans were by far the majority, I'm afraid any suggestion they are louder or more passionate is just total media BS based on our experience. I was expecting chants, songs, air horns and smoke bombs. They were colourful and supportive but other than the fact there were more of them, no louder or more organised than fans of other teams and drivers.

I'm fortunate to have been to a lot of sporting events (I work in pro sport) and honestly, crowd atmosphere wise, it was nothing special. Perhaps they were subdued because Ferrari didn't win, but if they only create an atmosphere when they are winning, they aren't great fans, are they? When we got home we watched the BBC coverage back and sure enough, there's Eddie Jordan et al., trotting out the same old Tifosi cliches...

Having been to a Roma vs Inter match I've experienced truely intense, passionate Italian fans and in comparison, Monza was like a garden party!

All that said, Monza is great and if you get a chance, you should go.
 
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The Williams Formula One team have now officially moved out of the hands of the Williams family for the first time since its founding by Sir Frank Williams in the mid 1970's.
  • Team will retain Williams branding for immediate future.
  • Expected to remain at Grove HQ.
  • Now owned by US investment company Dorilton Capital.
The end of an era is here for Williams Racing, as the second most successful team in Formula One have today announced that Dorilton Capital have successfully completed the purchase of the team - moving ownership away from the Williams family for the first time since Williams Grand Prix Engineering was founded back in 1978 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head.


Having not enjoyed the most successful of periods within their long and illustrious history in recent years, Williams confirmed they have been looking for additional funding for some time now, and aided by a much stronger 2020 challenger and the impending cost cap restrictions coming to Formula One from 2022. That investment has now arrived in the form of new US based ownership - something the team are confident will help Williams push back towards the pointy end of the Formula One grid:

“The Strategic Review was a useful process to go through and proved that both Formula One and Williams have credibility and value. We have now reached a conclusion and we are delighted that Dorilton are the new owners of the team" said Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principa​

"When we started this process, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same passion and values, who recognised the team’s potential and who could unlock its power. In Dorilton we know we have found exactly that. People who understand the sport and what it takes to be successful. People who respect the team’s legacy and will do everything to ensure it succeeds in the future.
As a family we have always put our team first. Making the team successful again and protecting our people has been at the heart of this process from start. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family owned team, but we know it is in good hands. The sale ensures the team’s survival but most importantly will provide a path to success. We are enormously grateful to Dorilton for the faith they have shown in our team and we look forward to working with them now.
I would also like to thank the Williams Board and our advisers who have worked tirelessly over the past months to make this happen and our employees who have remained steadfastly loyal.”

Williams Middle 2.jpg


The ownership change should be effective immediately, with no plans to initially change either the chassis designation or name of the outfit in the short term. It remains unclear what the future may look like for the Grove based squad, however Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital appears keen to build on the foundations already in place at the squad.
“We are delighted to have invested in Williams and we are extremely excited by the prospects for the business. We believe we are the ideal partner for the company due to our flexible and patient investment style, which will allow the team to focus on its objective of returning to the front of the grid. We look forward to working with the Williams team in carrying out a detailed review of the business to determine in which areas new investment should be directed. We also recognise the world class facilities at Grove and confirm that there are no plans to relocate.”

Part of me is happy to see much needed investment injected into my favourite team on the grid, whilst part of me morns the loss of one of Formula Ones' last independent constructor outfits - and a low key ending to the greatly impressive career of Frank Williams in Formula One.

Hopefully bright times ahead for this once great team.



For more news from the world of Formula One racing, and to engage with our highly knowledgeable community, head over to the RaceDepartment F1 sub forum and get a thread fired up today!

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Wow!
Just read about this in the Financial Times.
While I like the fact that the Williams name continues in F1, I was actually hoping for a 'fairy-tale' rise again.
A kind of 'David versus Goliath' modern-day F1 story....part II.
I believe they were truly humbled by their fall to the back of the grid after years of... 'We'll pay less, if you want to win a WDC in our car' stance.
I fear what'll happen to them from here on in...since American investors tend to have little patience when things aren't going to plan immediately.
Haas has surprised me a little in that regard.
Though it is fairly short order, I am surprised he is not actively 'hunting' for a buyer.
It is not a swing at anybody. It is just a trend here in North America.
Williams may indeed yet wind up being sold off multiple times.
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
 
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If it means they can stay and continue and provide a safe environment for their employees and keep everyone at hand... I am fine with that step. It seems to have been inevitable for quite some time now, especially with 2020 being a really tough nut to crack!
 
An awful lot depends on this 'patient' style that the new owners are supposed to have. It doesn't sound like the Williams family has retained any independence from what has been said so they may be at the mercy of the new owners with regard to strategic and sporting decisions.

Really hope this works out and enables Williams to get back towards the front. I'm just a bit cautious because how many times before have we seen investment groups buy stakes or entire teams and then lose interest once they realise actually making any money from F1 is incredibly difficult if you aren't the rights holder. e.g. Genii Capital and 'Lotus'.

For that reason, I'd be more comfortable if they had been bought by an enthusiast as a passion project.
 

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