Toto Wolff, new Williams F1 shareholder & board member

[xpensive]

This is not a very good sign. Or so I think anyway?

[axle]

This is not a very good sign. Or so I think anyway?

I expect this is all part of Williams as a company branching out to make more use of it's facilities.

Wolff is involved in HWA...

[xpensive]

I doubt it axle.

I believe there's no way they would sell out to this Austrian, when they denied BMW, unless they are in bad need of money.

[kilcoo316]

I expect they are looking to diversify a little...

Remember the Clio Williams?

Looks like Williams may use their name and F1 heritage for an offshoot road-car tuning operation.

Makes sense to me - and I don't know why more of the F1 teams have never tried to make more of this.

Certainly, Jordan could have been helping to tune peugeots and later hondas during the 90s, I think eventually Honda did make a Civic Jordan, merely a change in paint job rather than a more extreme version of a Type R. While the likes of Williams could have been more involved with BMW as a hardened track variant of a CSL.

[axle]

From the articles that are appearing it's about investment and diversification. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours. He's going to add sponsors and align technical tie-ups that maybe even Adam Parr would have struggled with.

I think Frank and Patrick are well aware they won't live forever and that at somepoint they will need to "sell" the business on to make it last beyond their lifetimes....this appears to be the first step down that path...or the 2nd if you look at the appointment of Parr. It's a long a winding path, no knee jerk premonitions required thanks

[lebesset]

I think Frank and Patrick are well aware they won't live forever and that at somepoint they will need to "sell" the business on to make it last beyond their lifetimes....this appears to be the first step down that path...or the 2nd if you look at the appointment of Parr. It's a long a winding path, no knee jerk premonitions required thanks [/quote]





they have seen what has happened to other good teams where the long term future hasn't been considered ...only bernie is going to live for ever

and now from AP

http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/783100

[xpensive]

Never taken out a penny, eh? But now would be the right time to begin?

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 0530.shtml

[autogyro]

I could tell you why the sell off but then I would have to shoot you all.

[Carlos]

I expect they are looking to diversify a little...
Remember the Clio Williams?
Looks like Williams may use their name and F1 heritage for an offshoot road-car tuning operation.
Makes sense to me - and I don't know why more of the F1 teams have never tried to make more of this.
Certainly, Jordan could have been helping to tune peugeots and later hondas during the 90s, I think eventually Honda did make a Civic Jordan, merely a change in paint job rather than a more extreme version of a Type R. While the likes of Williams could have been more involved with BMW as a hardened track variant of a CSL.

Very possible kilcoo36,I remember the Mini Cooper and the Lotus Cortina, with engine developed by both Lotus and Cosworth also in the 80's Isuzu marketed several cars with "Handling By Lotus" suspension tuning, during Yamaha's years in F1 Ford proudly marketed several cars featuring engine modified by Yamaha.

[xpensive]

Only if Williams had the same vision when they were with BMW, perhaps HP would still been there too? Opportunity missed.

[PlatinumZealot]

I don't get the "board member" part...Is this Wolf Guy really on this board?

[WhiteBlue]

Williams need money and have found a way to get some of it. It could also be a move connected to their KERS technology. So it is a positive move, isn't it?

[pgj]

The money is not for the team. It has been taken out of the business by SFW and PH.

[Fil]

From the articles that are appearing it's about investment and diversification. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours. He's going to add sponsors and align technical tie-ups that maybe even Adam Parr would have struggled with.

I think Frank and Patrick are well aware they won't live forever and that at somepoint they will need to "sell" the business on to make it last beyond their lifetimes....this appears to be the first step down that path...or the 2nd if you look at the appointment of Parr. It's a long a winding path, no knee jerk premonitions required thanks

^^^^
that.
I'm sure Wolff is bringing many contacts to the company. And Frank & Patrick are finally rewarding themselves for their decades of hard work with a little bonus $$$ too. Good on them!

[xpensive]

I'm sure Wolff is bringing many contacts to the company. And Frank & Patrick are finally rewarding themselves for their decades of hard work with a little bonus $$$ too. Good on them!

If Williams and Head wanted to cash in, they probably couldn't have picked any worse timing, could they?
Plenty of teams for sale and Williams hasn't xactly set the world on fire for the past four seasons?

As for rewarding themselves, Head has for years commuted by helicopter from his Chelsea-home and twenty years younger wife. That used to piss Mario Theissen off like hell.