Frank Williams (Formula One)

Sir Francis Owen Garbatt "Frank" Williams, CBE (* April 16 1942 in South Shields, England ) is a British businessman and the main owner and team principal of Formula 1 team Williams F1. Williams has been active since the late 1960s Grand Prix racing and led his team to date to over 100 Grand Prix victories and numerous world championships.

Life

Early years

Frank Williams grew up as the son of an officer of the Royal Air Force and was enthusiastic about early for motor racing. He worked from 1960 initially at a car dealer and later as a sales representative for the Campbell Soup Company. In parallel, he tried in 1961 even as a racing driver at the wheel of an Austin A35 and an Austin A40, but always had difficulties to finance his material. From 1962 he traveled with the racer Jonathan Williams, with whom he was a close friend through Europe. Jonathan Williams participated as a privateer in various Formula Junior race, while Frank Williams worked as his mechanic and organizer. Both lived at this time in his own words from hand to mouth; they could earn their livelihood mainly from the entry fees, which paid the organizers of the race. 1964 Williams worked temporarily with Anthony ' Bubbles ' Horsley together: Horsley, who ten years later became the driving force of Hesketh Racing, bought with an inheritance means two Formula 3 race car, of which he left a Frank Williams.

In 1965, Williams moved increasingly to trade with racing car accessories. He sold as a peddler everything offered to him. The end of 1966 he decided to finally give up his ambitions as a racing driver, and founded the company Frank Williams Racing Cars, which initially dealt with the sale of used race cars and spare parts.

Frank Williams Racing Cars

In October 1967, Frank Williams Racing Cars sold for the first time its own racing cars: He started with Piers Courage at the wheel of a Brabham BT21 in the Formula 3 race at Brands Hatch. In 1968 he tried his hand with Courage in Formula 2; but at the same time he sat still cars in the Formula 3 a. 1969, was the decisive step in the highest class of motorsports Formula 1 Williams bought a Brabham F1 according to the latest technical standards and led Courage thus two second places at Monaco and Watkins Glen.

1970 Williams worked with the Italian sports car manufacturer De Tomaso, who had decided to take a Formula 1 involvement. De Tomaso established the designed by Giampaolo Dallara vehicles, while Williams organized racing. At the Grand Prix of the Netherlands in Zandvoort came Williams' pilot Courage in a serious accident as a result of breakage of the suspension killed. Lack successes, De Tomaso end of 1970 moved back from Formula 1. In 1971, Williams March to a customer chassis, which he had prepared for the Frenchman Henri Pescarolo for racing. The following year he even set up two cars with March chassis and Ford engines, but he also let his first name FX3 chassis design at mid-season, the Pescarolo already destroyed the first test. For 1974 Williams received initial support by a major sponsor: the American tobacco company Marlboro financed Williams' designs, whose title sponsor was the Italian car brand Iso. After no success but again stopped, Williams did the end of 1975 together with the Austro- Canadian businessman Walter Wolf, who was passing through oil deals to wealth and willing to invest millions in Formula 1. Wolf bought a Williams and named the team at the start of the Formula 1 season 1976 in Walter Wolf Racing to.

Williams quickly became clear that he had given the economic and sporting control of his team. He left Wolf with the engineer Patrick Head and founded together with it in Didcot, Oxfordshire, a new team: Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

Williams Grand Prix Engineering and Williams F1

1977 Williams reached first on an old March chassis back and developed in parallel with the Williams FW06 for the 1978 season. Moreover, could Fly Saudia with a financial sponsor is found, the accelerated development. In the U.S. GP at Watkins Glen '78 before the season newly signed Australian Alan Jones stood in second place for the first time for the young team on the podium. Other sponsors such as Albilad or TAG were added, so that the plan matured, from 1979 to use two vehicles. At Silverstone, Clay Regazzoni won the first Grand Prix for Williams, 1980 followed by the first drivers 'championship title by Alan Jones and the first Constructors' title. The team of Frank Williams developed in the subsequent period up to the late 1990s, one of the most successful teams in Formula and won numerous other world championships. Driver variables such as Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost won in a Williams wins and titles. Among many highlights, there was also a low point: 1994 crashed, the Brazilian Ayrton Senna in a Williams -Renault fatal.

Accident and spinal cord injury

The Williams team took early March 1986 test at the course in southern France at Le Castellet in part, including Frank Williams had traveled. On March 7, 1986, Williams made with the former team manager of his racing team, Peter Windsor, on the way to the airport to fly back to England. On the route Williams came up with his rental car off the road and overturned. The indented roof of the car stauchte while Williams' spine together so that he carried off a paraplegic. His co-driver was uninjured Windsor. Frank Williams is instructed by the accident permanently to a wheelchair and requires constant medical and nursing care.

Honors

Williams was beaten in 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the British motorsport knighted.

Private

Frank Williams was since August 1974 Virginia " Ginny " Williams ( born 1946, † March 7, 2013 ) married. The couple has three children. His 1975 born son Jonathan Piers Williams is named after the racers Jonathan Williams and Piers Courage. He joined the team in the field of youth development. His daughter was born in 1976 Claire Williams is also a member of the Board since April 1, 2012 Marketing and Communications Manager, and from 1 April 2013. Jaime Williams, the youngest child, is involved in a London advertising agency.