2019 Williams F1 Team - Mercedes

[Sevach]

If that is actually true, and Tobi Grüner usually is spot on, then it shows how deep Williams has sunk. If other teams show such contempt, it is telling how uncompetitive Williams will be not only this year, but for years to come might be.

British Minardi indeed.

[zeph]

I wonder what else needs to happen before old Frank finally finds the courage to fire (or at least demote) his daughter. Surely some of the blame here has to fall on her shoulders.

anyway, part of the problem is not that the genuine problem is claire. she's a big problem of it and needs to step down.but the biggest problem is frank, who is not capable of doing his job and is too stubborn to admit it and do what he should do: step away completely. as long as frank still is in charge, which he is, this team will not move forward.

I don't know, my understanding was that FW is team principal in name only, but that it's largely ceremonial, and he is no longer involved in actual management. Or that is what I took away from the documentary, at least.

All his peers have gone, Ecclestone, Dennis, etc. They didn't want to give up the reigns, but were ultimately forced out because they couldn't face the fact that their time was up. If FW is still in charge at Williams F1, then I don't know what would convince him to step down at this point.

edit:

The Williams F1 site clearly states that Claire Williams is in charge:

In March 2013, Claire stepped up to the position of Deputy Team Principal for the Williams F1 Team. In this role Claire has full responsibility for the day to day running and long term development of the race team while also representing the Williams family’s majority and controlling shareholding of the Williams Group of companies on the Board.

https://www.williamsf1.com/racing/about ... e-williams

The other head honcho is Mike O'Driscoll, apparently:

Mike joined Williams as a Non-Executive Director in 2011 and became full-time Group CEO in June 2013. The newly-created role has seen Williams Martini Racing and Williams Advanced Engineering united under one management structure which enables Mike to oversee the long term strategy of the group and provide support to Founder and Team Principal Sir Frank Williams, and to work in partnership with Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal and Commercial Director.

https://www.williamsf1.com/racing/about ... -odriscoll

And finally, I heard somewhere that ROKiT's owner/director has plans to be a much more hands-on kind of sponsor, so maybe he is the guy who will initiate a takeover? Much like Stroll took over Force India ( and by the way, isn't it telling that they preferred to buy into FI rather than take control of Williams).

[sprint car76]

Well, well, well, finally sanity is settling in. After a couple of years of "It's all strolls fault" reality has started to set in. Even after everybody's fav. kubica sent out little hints that the car was bad posters kept on about it being the drivers. Now once again kubica (who by the way is a dreaded pay driver) is saying the car has a long way to go to be competitive.

Now the blame is being shifted to claire. Does she design the car? If there is any blame it should fall at the feet of paddy lowe. Do you ever wonder why merc. let him go so easily? Has merc. had any drop in performance since he left? If claire was the one to hire him then she made a big mistake.

Look at the teams that are successful. They all have one thing in common, Strong lead designers. Allison, key, newey (my fav). The weakest part of williams is the tech department. Paddy is not a designer.

[Dr. Acula]

The team is always a reflection of the boss. Williams was has been on a steady downward slope since the period of Frank's accident and Patrick Heads departure. Clearly they haven't been able to fill the void left by these giants - it has nothing to do with Paddy Lowe.

In interviews, Claire Williams always comes across as somewhat lost. Take this one on Williams change of livery for instance and how she not only used the word "I" several times (low self-confidence giveaway), but also seemed to be constantly searching for validation: https://www.pitpass.com/63872/Frank-lov ... new-livery

Another team boss in her position would have simply gone straight to the point of what the colours mean and that Williams expects to deliver exactly that. No added fat. It is impossible to imagine Christian Horner or Toto Wolff sounding so lost.

When the boss is lost, the team too is lost. Ugly politics and forked tongued lap dogs take wing and fill the gaps, because no one knows exactly what the boss is communicating - it might not be this bad (yet) at Williams, but it could very well be.

I got rather the vibe from that Interview, that she thinks she and her father are more importent than the rest of the team, which is quite problematic for somebody who should represent the Team to the public.
That's a stark contrast to for instance Ross Brawn who regardless of his function basically always used "we" in interviews because he represented a or his team.

[zeph]

And finally, I heard somewhere that ROKiT's owner/director has plans to be a much more hands-on kind of sponsor, so maybe he is the guy who will initiate a takeover? Much like Stroll took over Force India ( and by the way, isn't it telling that they preferred to buy into FI rather than take control of Williams).

After googling ROKiT (and its co-founder, Jonathan Kendrick) some more, I can't say I feel optimistic about this partnership.

[Raleigh]

Paddy is a great engineer, I’m not sure that translates to either the technical director or (effective) team principal roles. He would be an asset to any team but not perhaps the person to lead that team.

Claire probably should have stuck to marketing, credit where credit is due she has kept Williams in a positive position financially where other privateers have disappeared or gone through a chain of owners, but again I’m not seeing someone who can lead Williams to success which is probably why Paddy was brought in and given so much authority in the first place.

At this point the options are limited, I’m not sure what can be done without a change in ownership and bringing in someone with a lot of management experience (not even F1 management nessarilly) who can restructure the team effectively.

[Unc1eM0nty]

When the brown stuff hits the fan a TD needs to be able to grab control of the situation and say "We're making X, Y and Z modifications".

I'm sorry but that's just laughable, the idea that TD is going to overrule the heads of Aero and CFD on something they've been working on for years is lunacy, what does he base the decision on, gut feeling ?

There are far too many specialties involved in designing and building a car, maybe God can master them all but no mere mortal can.

And I've never believed the Newey drawing board stuff, you'll be telling me Redbull don't have an Aero and CFD department next.

[Shakeman]

Blog post by Peter Windsor on the Williams situation.

https://www.omologatowatches.com/blog/r ... e-williams

[Manoah2u]

Can someone also explain to me why Claire Williams is still there? She's clearly not capable of leading the team. Terrible decisions, even the godawful livery was her idea. How much more can she damage the company? Everybody that loves F1 would like to see Williams do good, but they seem to be miles of the pace and without any leadership.

Careful saying what i've been saying for 2 years now, or you'll get branded as anti-feminist or other cr*p like that by sensitive millenials.

[santos]

Blog post by Peter Windsor on the Williams situation.

https://www.omologatowatches.com/blog/r ... e-williams

That's a nice read.

[munudeges]

I got rather the vibe from that Interview, that she thinks she and her father are more importent than the rest of the team, which is quite problematic for somebody who should represent the Team to the public.

She is absolutely chock-full of never-ending soundbites, and they are all the same. She seems to think that repeating this stuff over and over will make things good.

[munudeges]

Blog post by Peter Windsor on the Williams situation.

https://www.omologatowatches.com/blog/r ... e-williams

Yes, I saw that posted elsewhere. Not always a fan of Peter really, and I do think his affection for Frank is absolving him of a lot of blame, but the question remains. The succession based on understanding racing at its core should have been so simple. Why? With Claire and the hangers-on what they got was a ton of nothing more than corporate bull and an endless stream of bad decisions and bad recruitment. In a way I hope the thing crashes down so Jonny can at least have a go at doing something.

It's bizarre. When Williams were a winning machine the one team I thought would end up in a never-ending and fatal death spiral of nasty, Machiavellian corporate politics was Ferrari. I would never have put money on it being Williams.

[Giblet]

I don't have time to go read everything, but is not the general opinion of everyone in F1 and this forum that Paddy Lowe is a competent individual? As in one of the more competent in the sport?

I am having a lot of trouble believing all the manure I am reading online from "fans of the sport".

"He just rode Brawn's coattails" etc.

[munudeges]

I'm sorry but that's just laughable, the idea that TD is going to overrule the heads of Aero and CFD on something they've been working on for years is lunacy, what does he base the decision on, gut feeling ?

You're kidding? That's exactly what the TD is there to do, and no, he doesn't do it on a gut feeling he does it based on his actual expertise in engineering and aeronautics, which Paddy Lowe and many other pretenders simply do not have.

The only thing that is more laughable than that comment and has been consistently proven not to work time, after time, after time, after time, after time, after time is design by committee Formula 1 cars. Never, ever work. You end up with the aerodynamics people not talking to the production or chassis people, they all point fingers and they all attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the TD. If the TD isn't technically up to sorting out the nonsense the mess continues.

There are far too many specialties involved in designing and building a car, maybe God can master them all but no mere mortal can.

That's meaningless claptrap and perfectly exemplifies why Williams and teams like McLaren have fallen so far. It also doesn't explain why out of necessity, and results, McLaren are recruiting a Technical Director. A real one this time. The matrix structure is having to go.

And I've never believed the Newey drawing board stuff, you'll be telling me Redbull don't have an Aero and CFD department next.

Sweetheart, the drawing board is literally in his office, and it is used. The aerodynamic philosophy behind the car and the responsibility to leaf right through the rulebook and find a path through it is the sole responsibility of the TD. When two directions can be gone in the TD needs to make the decision as to which one it is, or whether they are both wrong, otherwise you get a compromise. Compromises don't work on Formula 1 cars. Once that is set the team can get to work.

[Giblet]

No, Segedunum, the TD is not supposed to tell the aero guys what to do, his job is to direct them and utilize them and their abilities.

He directs the technical thrust of the team. he does not design. he does not CFD. He manages.