The 79-year-old Briton created one of the most powerful teams of the eighties and nineties.
Sir Frank Williams died this Sunday in a hospital in the United Kingdom where he was admitted last Friday, according to his family in a statement. The 79-year-old Briton was an eminence in motorsports, specifically in Formula 1, after founding one of the most universal teams in the history of the event.
In 1977, Williams gave his name to the team that years later would become one of the benchmark structures of the World Championship, in which it came to celebrate seven drivers ‘titles and nine constructors’ titles. The first to arrive was Alan Jones in 1980, followed by Keke Rosberg (1982), Nelson Piquet (1987), Nigel Mansell (1992), and Alain Prost(1993). The last two were those awarded consecutively by Damon Hill (1996) and Jacques Villeneuve (1997).
The gleaming track record of the builder also casts the odd shadow, especially the one related to the death of Ayrton Senna at that fateful 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Ímola. The Brazilian arrived that same course, tempted by the superiority of the FW14B and FW15C, the cars with which Mansell and Prost had dominated the previous two courses, catapulted by the active suspension system that was prohibited as soon as Senna signed.
Starting in the 2000s, the team lost its grip, partly due to its still-familiar organization, which went from being led by Frank to being led by Claire, his daughter, who inherited the helm in 2013, due to the precarious state of his father’s health. Williams had been in a wheelchair since 1986 as a result of a traffic accident suffered shortly after leaving the Paul Ricard circuit.
The cause of death was not revealed.
The last victory, in 2012
After 43 years and 739 grand prizes, the Williams family decided to sell the company to the Dorilton Capital group, in an operation that was confirmed during the course of last season. At least for the moment, the entry into the scene of the new owners has not had an entirely positive impact on the trajectory of the team, which occupies the third-to-last position in the team statistics, with the 16 points collected by George Russell and the seven by Nicholas Latifi. The last of the 114 victories listed on Grove’s brand results sheet dates from 2012 and was achieved by Pastor Maldonado in Montmeló.
“Today we pay tribute to our beloved flagship,” declares the family in the official statement. “He was a true giant of our sport, capable of turning around the greatest adversities, both on the track and off it”, highlights Stefano Domenicali, CEO, and president of Formula 1. “His incredible achievements and personality will be recorded. forever, “adds the executive, one of the many personalities linked to the championship who rushed to pay tribute to Williams, just after the news of his death.
“Today we say goodbye to the man who defined our team. Frank was a wonderful person, and I will always remember the laughs we shared. He was more than a boss: a mentor and a friend to all those who joined the Williams family, ”Russell reminds him that next year he will leave British training to become Lewis Hamilton’s new workshop neighbor, in Mercedes. “We have lost a true hero and an inspiration far beyond our sport. Sir Frank not only created a very special legacy in F1, but he showed the power of human determination to overcome enormous adversities, ”acknowledges Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
