London, November 28, 2021 – Sir Frank Williams is dead, founder and former head of the F1 team Williams. The entrepreneur had 79 years old. The racing team writes: “After being hospitalized on Friday, Sir Frank died peacefully this morning surrounded by his family.” Leave the three children Jonathan, Jamie e Claire, who worked with him in the pits, born of marriage with Virginia Berry, died in 2013.
Sir Francis Owen Garbett Williams was born in South Shields on April 16, 1942 give one RAF officer and by a teacher, but he grew up with his maternal uncles because his parents separated.
The passion for engines was born when in the late fifties a friend of his made him drive a Jaguar XK150, and he was seduced. He was immediately a mechanic and then a driver, but he created the real road to racing on his own: in 1966 he founded his own team, Frank Williams Racing Cars.
The tean started in Formula 2 and Formula 3, con piloti come Piers Courage, Richard Burton, Tetsu Ikuzawa e Tony Trimmer. Then in 1969 Williams took the big step into Formula 1. An important choice for which he invested in the chassis of an old Brabham single-seater model, and put the Courage behind the wheel. Two second places arrived in the first races, an unexpected success.
In 1970 Williams teamed up with Alejandro de Tomaso, but it all ended with Courage’s death in the Dutch Grand Prix that same year. In 1971 he gave the car to Henri Pescarolo, with a frame supplied by March. But in 1972 Williams designed and built its first car: the Politoys FX3 to a design by Len Bailey, but it crashed on its debut.
Williams, short of money, recovered thanks to sponsorships from Marlboro and Iso Rivolta. However, in 1976 he had to sell 60% of the company to the oil magnate Walter Wolf. The following year Frank Williams left his team and together with engineer Patrick Head founded Williams Grand Prix Engineering (now Williams Racing).
In ’79 came the first victory with the driver Clay Regazzoni, then the first Formula 1 Drivers World Championship title in 1980 with Alan Jones and the second in 1982 with Keke Rosberg. It also won two consecutive constructors’ titles in 1980 and 1981.
The Williams myth was born: only Ferrari and McLaren did better in car racing. Franck knew how to choose the engines, and his technicians to prepare them, so after the Cosworths came Honda, and then Judd, Renault, Mecachrome and BMW engines in 2000.
Very sad news. Sir Frank Williams leaves a lasting impression on the history of @ F1. He was a pioneer, an exceptional personality & an exemplary man. On behalf of the entire @SON Community, our thoughts are with his family, friends & @WilliamsRacing. Rest in peace, my friend https://t.co/iWygN5mYzi pic.twitter.com/uz4xyru9l4
— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt)
November 28, 2021
Mostly the collaboration with Honda was successful: Williams Honda was the single-seater to beat from the end of 1985 to 1987. The parenthesis with the Judd engines yielded less, but the English team returned to dominate with the Renault V10s, unbeatable from 1991 to 1997. That same year Frank Williams became the first manufacturer in history to have reached the finish line of 9 conquered world constructors’ championships.
The tragedy that forced him in a wheelchair it was in March 1986, when in a car accident in France, Williams broke his spine and his legs were paralyzed.
Williams became Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1987, and in 1999 a knight. But not only that, France also honored him by investing him with the title of Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, thanks to the collaboration with Renault which had earned 5 constructors’ titles.
In May 1994 Ayrton Senna lost his life in a Williams, and Frank himself was accused of manslaughter, an accusation dropped after the investigation.
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