10 moments that led to the decline of Williams in F1

[@leongt1954]

Mark Webber said it was the worst decision of his life leaving Jaguar to go to William when he walked into the workshop he said it was like a morgue compared the the happy faces at jaguar and that Frank Williams and Patrick Head were like dictators and completely ignored what the drivers had to say about the car

[@LancasterResponding]

Ha! His name is Pat Head

[@alastairhewitt5922]

@@LancasterResponding 😂

[@SiVlog1989]

That's somewhat ironic considering what Jackie Stewart said when he drove the 1989 FW12-C (the first Williams to run with a Renault V10 engine). He commented about how Patrick Head, who was at the time the chief designer, was interested in human mechanics, understood that for a driver to get the most out of their equipment, they first needed to be comfortable. The fact that he and Frank Williams ignored feedback on the car performance is strange

[@GaryWagers]

@@SiVlog1989 Even more ironic to me is the fact that everything I've heard about the Jaguar team's inner workings was a revolving door at the top and Ford executive meddling creating some very poor morale at the bottom. If Williams had worse morale than Jaguar's last days... well, maybe Jag already knew that the Red Bull money was coming and were thrilled to know that they weren't about to collapse.

[@bogdanrus9402]

He said that because he had a deal with Renault for 2005. Career wrecking mistake. He had to settle for the piece of shit Williams BMW while he saw Fisichella win in what could've been his car.

[@sultanabran1]

having adrian newey's book, and listening to various drivers' interviews, reading f1 articles throughout the years, the reasons i believe what lead to the downturn of Williams is frank williams and patrick head's mindset being stuck in the past and not changing with the times. all the things the video listed here stems from stubborness from two old boys who got left behind.

[@brendanmccallion2350]

Its very easy to be romantic about Williams but lets face we are entering a period in F1 where manufacturers will dominate for the foreseeable future. The Williams name needs some sort of a partnership with something like a Honda or an Aston Martin alongside it in order to survive, similar to what Red Bull and Racig Point have.

[@paulo9504]

There are currently four manufacturers in F1. The current regulations make F1 unattractive to any new manufacturers to join. The current engines are too complex and too expensive and no new manufacturer wants to deal with that. F1 needs to go back to normally aspirated V-8s or V-10s. Rid themselves of the hybrid systems. Real race cars do not need a hybrid system to go fast. I think production hybrid vehicles are falling out of favor with consumers anyway. Why bother?

[@alexgherghiceanu2094]

@@paulo9504 i think the whole point of the hybrid sistem was to make the F1 engine more similar to something you would find in a modern performance car. Many manufacturers seem to be keen on down-sizing and electrify-ing their line-up so the only way to make F1 even more atractive would be to make it fully electric, which nobody wants.

[@TheDiasporaMedia]

@@paulo9504 ya sorry your wrong. Motor industry data shows the next 20 years is all growth in the electric car market and hybrid engine systems. its actually the exact opposite of what you claim. you can google the data if you want. The whole reason Honda cambe back to F1 was because of the development of hybrid systems for use in their sports car models... if F1 used normally aspirated V's there would be no attraction for Renault, Merc or Honda to be in F1 (maybe Ferrari becuase they are a race team to begin with). so the way to attract more manufacturers is more hybrid electric intergration not less. because thats the direction of the capital markets.

[@TheDiasporaMedia]

Aston Martin do not make engines. even for their road cars. they use Mercedes AMG. What Williams should have done is courted the Strolls. but because thats water under the bridge they should do the next best thing as sell as a B team to AMG-MERC and have a cluase where they maintain the family run dynamic and Williams name but with full MERC ownership and control of the two seats for the young driver program. that will sort out thyre problems.

[@gregoryatkin1509]

@@TheDiasporaMedia The problem then becomes that why bother with Formula 1 running costs when Formula E offers just as good a racing spectacle, and can prove the integration of your technology to people other than the wealthy elite? That's why FE has so many manufacturers: Audi, Nissan, Porsche, Mahindra, NIO at the very least. The whole state of F1 means no manufacturer is willing to spend that much money on it.

[@nicolaivedel5067]

They should've kept BMW as a partner, like McLaren had Mercedes. Yes, McLaren were up to about 40% owned by Mercedes, but they were still regarded as a fully fletched independent team. If William had done the same, they would maybe have had won 1-3 WDC's and 1-2 WCC's, and still be a midfield, if not, top team today. A shame...

[@bilbobeuli]

Jean Aleròn BMW would’ve left the sport either way after the financial crisis.

[@nicolaivedel5067]

@@bilbobeuli I know, but if they've had them for those 10 seasons and had allowed a great influence, which had meant more money and tech, they could've won way way more

[@iceman1125]

its because of williams bmw lost out on winning the championship despite having the best engine in f1.

[@johnniecinco6698]

@@iceman1125 There was no match for the Ferrari quartet during those years, even with the best engine. Besides, BMW as a team did made some truly stupid decisions, like yielding Kubica's WDC lead in 2008 for nothing.

[@B__L]

This right here is it. They are the only true privateer left in the sport and they're too stubborn to realise this isn't the way forward anymore.

[@enzoma7253]

This is a team stuck in their past achievements and practices, with terrible management.

[@genuz]

Absolutely true though it seemed to me the management of the team was improving the last 1-2 years. I guess that was also the signal they would send to sponsors. Still no results and a lot of expensive "accidents".

[@asessential9498]

Enzo once thought that aerodynamics were for uncivilised garageisters, only for them do demolish the Scuderia through the DFV Cozzeh and ground effect. It was only until the later years in his life where he let his engineers do the advanced stuff (turbo engines and non-technical partners as sponsors) where the team finally got ground and stayed there.

[@WilfChadwick]

Terrible management!? But that would mean a woman could be to blame and as she who shan't be blamed wasn't mentioned in this vid (coz, fuck knows why but her brother that was overlooked is bloody fuming), surely, in the name of the goddess Feminismus, it can't be so.

[@wastefellow2569]

You’ve just described the Montreal Canadiens, yet it’s nowhere close to leaving the NHL

[@genuz]

@@WilfChadwick The video is about the decline since the 1990s so you can't blame Claire for ALL of it :)

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Tbh, Frank is the biggest problem. His stubbornness which got them success initially has also been the reasons for his biggest failures. Watching the documentary about him, where Claire reads out part of her mother's autobiography (which Frank has refused to read) you could see how uncomfortable he was with her honesty. I think Claire's had too big of a bad rap by the press and fans - Frank's still got a grip on the team (he even screwed up his relationship with his son over it!). He should have agreed to take Stroll on as a 40-50% partner. Initially, Stroll might have agreed to that amount of involvement (and I'm sure he'd have loved to have been associated with such a historically significant team). But because Frank does things his way, the only partner in the business who's ever had any real say in what happens is of course Patrick Head, because they essentially started the team together. I genuinely understand why Frank would want to hold onto his baby, but he's often had blinkers on when it comes to making business decisions. Look at what happened in the 90s with the merry-go-round of the best drivers in the world at that time, who all wanted to drive for him, yet he'd screw up simple contract discussions. I am positive it started then (although he has always been this way, the way he treated the drivers then was just dumb). Anyhoo, that's just my humble opinion, as they say.

[@sekhyhybrid6701]

This here is the main reason of Williams' downfall. Everyone is harsh on Claire, but you can't deny that Frank is the one that screwed up badly especially from 1998 onwards.

[@roblopez9748]

This seems likely to be the truest reason for their decline. The video gives several reasons, but there's only one common denominator.

[@ivaneurope]

Couldn't agree more pal. People pointing the finger at Claire (though to be fair she isn't the best), but forget the elephant in the room and the real culprit - Frank himself

[@GloomGaiGar]

This. It's like being the captain of a ship/plane but the captain before you did everything to make your part of the trip hell.

[@ThermicLight]

Some are critical of Claire because she has a chip on her shoulder. It's one thing when Frank fails. Namely because he built the team. Conversely people don't have inherent respect for nepotism, especially without accountability, and as such don't like to give her a free pass just because daddy owns the team. But more importantly the results are what matter and so far it's in the toilet.

[@FrontSideBus]

Sacking Damon Hill which annoyed Adrian Newey bigtime and caused him to also leave was main factor tbh!

[@thekitowl]

FrontSideBus absolutely.

[@andyb.1026]

That was the beginning of the end ~ Bloody obvious to anyone ~ Damon a World Champion (twice if Schumaker had been penalised) & a great Development driver, Sack Him for a poser ~ Idiotic ! !

[@tmb8807]

@@andyb.1026 not sure I’d call Frentzen a “poser” but at that time he wasn’t on Damon’s level, sure. You have to wonder if Damon and Villeneuve would’ve taken enough points off each other to basically hand Schumacher the 1997 title (before the final race), though.

[@bumblebity2902]

Not main reason. The main reason he wants much more power in technical department even take Head's place. Head and Frank should co-lead the team, meanwhile Adrian has freedom in technical department.

[@masterfulsky]

They had a habit of losing world champions the year after they won. piquet mansell prost and hill never got a chance to defend their titles

[@garylynch9206]

Frank and Patrick’s egos killed the team.

[@虎ちゃん-v8t]

That 1 point is courtesy of alfa romeo...

[@eduardotalavera1800]

Kubica could have crashed out like some other big names Like Leclerc, Bottas and Hulkenberg, but he managed to keep thag mess of a car on the track on changing conditions. You gotta give him credit for that

[@adamcichon6957]

@@eduardotalavera1800 by example, i mentioning this since that day. He, somehow, managed to drive the FailureWilliams42 to the finish, and overtaking Russell in the process, despite team's will to keep george in front of Kubica. But George messed this up. Also there was a very big criticism about what Robert kept saying about Williams. Today is so clear that Claire Williams kept lying all the freaking season about everything.

[@DiegoOffspring]

​@@eduardotalavera1800 You get the point, I still can't understand why everyone gives no credit at all to Kubica. I'm sure if it was Russell who bring that car in the points, media and fans would have make all kind of praises to him. That's not very nice.

[@boryswwa]

@@DiegoOffspring Williams is a British Team, George is a British driver, Great Britain is the home of the first ever F1 race, and, therefore, many say - the home of F1 and therefore media coverage from GB is the strongest one. And Kubica is a Pole. Add that all to eachother and You'll have the answer to Your question :)

[@Chuckiele]

@@eduardotalavera1800 Good point, that turd is a challenge to keep on track on dry conditions, not crashing in that race is kind of an achievement.

[@vatsaldvora]

I feel bad for George Russell

[@Adithya13303]

Don't worry George still has backing from Mercedes and Toto Wolff he will definitely find a seat if Williams go away.

[@fanartzone928]

i think George is the only reason why media didnt kill Williams at all. They focused on George and avoided talking about how terrible williams is.

[@RandomGuy-dw7hf]

I’m not worried about him, he’ll easily find a seat if Williams go under. I do feel sorry for him having to race around at the back, though

[@generaldreagonlps6889]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is what gets him a mercedes seat in 2021. I believe he's under contract for williams until the end of next year but mercedes will be like: we want George, here's some money.

[@peterfighter]

Russell will share the same fate as Wehrlein and will be forgotten

[@JackPecker911]

Selling to BMW would've been a mistake, but all the other options they had would've secured them in an almost guaranteed top 3-5 spot up until today, not giving Newey a share in the team was a huge mistake.

[@zoojuice7893]

Williams should sell their team for 1 pound, and get someone like Ross Brawn on the case, find a loophole and get 2 world championships.

[@pummyy]

If Michael was kicking he wud have taken over given the heritage.

[@GloomGaiGar]

except loopholes can now be quickly fixed (by quickly, i mean "next race" quickly) given the new regulations

[@DocTommy1972]

You mean 7. Ross found 2 loopholes for benetton and 5 for Ferrari

[@Little-borg]

I agree 👍

[@whitewolf8051]

@@GloomGaiGar unless your Mercedes apparently

[@patrickguinnane]

the rot started when they fired/released Hill after winning the championship in 1996 as far as I can see

[@bipbapthegrunt]

yeah 1996. they lost hill, they lost newey. look at 1997. mclaren with newey were the fastest team by the end of the season while williams were struggling. they started toppling down in 1998 99 and they were saved by BMW only for Frank to order them out of the team the moment they said a word about buying the team. Frank shouldve let BMW take 40 percent like merc with mclren and i believe both sides would still be in f1 today.

[@whassupg89]

I’ve always been a big Williams fan so it’s sad to watch this and see what the team is going through. I hope they get a new owner who can invest in the team but keep its identity

[@deabreu.tattoo]

Williams' downfall reminds me of Lotus', but for Lotus at least you could blame a tragic death for it - Williams was more like death by a thousand cuts. I blame it on the Corcorde agreements that Bernie designed to make the poorer teams weaker and the bigger teams think they're better off pulling eachothers' rugs. He was successful in that, there's no more cooperation between teams for the benefit of the sport, but now we have a sport where only 3 teams have the means to fight for the title - even if only one can actually do it. he tried to make every race Monaco, and Ferrari the only competitive team model. it's gonna take at least 5 more years to undo what that prick did

[@filmandfirearms]

@@deabreu.tattoo How did he try to make every race Monaco? And if Ferrari is the only successful team model, how come they haven't won the driver's or constructor's title since 2008? As for cooperation between the teams, I don't remember anything in the past where the teams worked together on something purely for the good of the sport

[@tmoss017]

Well this comment aged well

[@fion-formulaionworldchampi3978]

In my opinion this year has been a lot. An great title fight, Ocon's victory, Norris' maiden podium, great results for some teams, and your wish has (probably) come true with Hungary and Belgium being their best points finishes. We now move to Brazil where Max leads over Hamilton so yeah im very happy to be here. Of course its gonna take long to see actual improvement of big to small teams if it doesnt happen in 2022 but I hope that will happen aswell

[@thekitowl]

I never forgave them for sacking Damon Hill .

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

I did.

[@jtdavis62]

Frank Williams was both a strength and a weakness for the team. His resistance to buyouts and his stubbornness to stay independent seemingly at all costs are the main reasons the team is in such a position.

[@randomtask9029]

Poor management, history of treating valuable persons badly (e.g. Damon Hill, Adrian Newey), stubborn reluctance to change, and Claire Williams unsuited to her role. It's a shame to see them in trouble.

[@stevelavergne2852]

Frank Williams refusing to pay drivers, especially champions, what they were worth in the 90s or sacking them outright put them on a bad path.

[@thekitowl]

Steve LaVergne 👍

[@donbrashsux]

No 11 when Claire was placed in charge ofWilliams

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

The money distribution in F1 is so counterproductive to competitive racing it isnt even funny.

[@S3Mi87]

Totally agree. I'd much more prefer if Ferrari has left F1 and let new teams battle rather than extorting money from FIA to keep their toxic cult going.

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

Yes - however...don't forget that Williams benefit from a US$10m per year 'historic' bonus that none of the other teams around them get - even Benetton/Renault/Lotus/Renault don't get one; just Williams, McLaren and Ferrari. Williams' is obviously much smaller than Ferrari, but it's $10m extra that Force India, Caterham, Marussia, Sauber, don't/didn't get.

[@GloomGaiGar]

@@S3Mi87 if the current rules remain (which is the actual problem) and Ferrari left, they would just be replaced by another ferrari-like team

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@@OsellaSquadraCorse Yes, and who gets $100M again? Thought so

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@Ade Matthews 2013 says hello lmao but sure, defend the fuckers

[@Jt7166]

I think being too stubborn to make a deal with the Strolls will end up being the final straw for Williams in F1. They are going to be forced to sign a much worse deal than the were offered by Stroll in order to survive. It's sad, but not surprising. That's been the Williams way for my lifetime

[@BD4-ManchesterIsRed]

No no no. They did the right thing to stay clear of the Strolls.

[@alexgherghiceanu2094]

@@BD4-ManchesterIsRed why is that?

[@cantfindawayout]

@@BD4-ManchesterIsRed Yeah, just like they did the right thing to stay clear of Honda (when Honda were offering to continue supplying them with the incredible 1.5 V6T that brought them 2 WDCs/WCCs alongside Lotus [87 & 88] and McLaren [since 88]), right? And stay clear of BMW when they propelled them to a top 3 team on the grid from effective backmarkers they became after Renault stopped supplying them with that majestic V10 that won them 4 WDCs and 5 WCCs in the 90s, right? Just right they did the right thing forcing Newey to quit after promising him (in a contract, no less) to have more influence on the team (most importantly, driver hiring), right? Just like they did the right thing getting rid of Mansell after he won them the title, getting rid of Prost after he won them the title (breaking a 2-year contract, no less), getting rid of Hill after he won them the title (for Frentzen, no less), doing all of that without even consulting with Newey, even though they gave him their word they would (and by 'they', I mean Frank Williams and Patrick Head). The story of Williams since the late 80s (to be more precise, since 87, when they lost Honda due to their incredible stubborness [one might call it stupidity]) is a story of systematic failure. Failure to manage drivers, failure to manage engineers, failure to grow bigger, failure to realise what needs to be done (for example, selling a minority share to BMW, which would have injected a hell of a lot of cash into the team, like BMW did into Sauber, building that insanely good wind tunnel for them). Failure to sell to Stroll is just another example of that. If they did sell him the minority share he wanted, they wouldn't be backmarkers struggling to survive that they are today. Just like with BMW.

[@GloomGaiGar]

@@BD4-ManchesterIsRed Explain yourself. The Strolls went to Racing Point and now they have a deal with Aston Martin, are building new facilities and have a 2nd hand Mercedes as their car. So go ahead, explain. If this is about Lance, they kindly shut up because they replaced him with Latifi.

[@begonethot4869]

@@BD4-ManchesterIsRed the Strolls are majority responsible for saving Racing Point and now have got a massive sponsor in Aston Martin on the team. Like him or not, Lawrence Stroll is an elite level business man and Williams could be in Racing Points position right now

[@Aldas001]

I think the teams management has also been a factor, there's no doubt that Claire understand the team and understands the importance of Williams to F1. But, over the past 7 years she just hasn't managed to get the right people behind the scenes and the right drivers in the seats for them to develop the car and have a long period of sustained success.

[@hurronivich2652]

I think also Frank’s attitude towards the drivers in the 90s also should be here. He always thought of them as just employees so got rid of Mansell and Hill after they won championships. It was this behaviour with drivers which disillusioned Newey so much that he ended up leaving.

[@Ancovg]

I feel like George is their only real investment in the team and am sure he will do whatever he can to try and make Williams great again but I don't think he is enough. Look at McLaren and all the personnel they have attracted and how they are doing great again. That's what Williams needs and they need it fast!

[@deabreu.tattoo]

@@hurronivich2652 Newey left because Head wouldn't step aside and let Newey take over. All of Williams management had their heads too far up their own asses and the team suffered for that. the 93 concorde agreement was their ironic downfall, if you ask me - suddenly almost all the F1 mony went to prizes and the race money dried up, so teams what fell in a slump had no way to claw back to the top. Frank thought that he was gonna stay on the top forever, now he's letting his daughter take the fall..

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Also they kept replacing their drivers. Once they had good drivers they replace him with pay driver. The only lineup that last a little longer was Massa and Bottas. Massa was at the end of his career and Bottas, probably saw writings on the wall when Williams signed Stroll, jumped ship when Rosberg retired

[@nishanthashok1188]

I was thinking about your 3 part video when I watched this video.

[@SuitablePlanet]

I seen an interview where Claire Williams said she’d never be a junior Mercedes team. I think this is the perfect opportunity. Keep the iconic name, keep the engines, swallow her pride and get the financial power and knowledge of being a Merc junior team. I believe it would work well for both teams! Once their problems are sorted try and by their independent status back.

[@cjsnowdon]

Decision to promote and stick with Claire to! She’s lovely, and should have a high position with in the team! But they were struggling, they needed a manager with experience! It’s crazy to think in a bad situation, they gave the job to someone with nil experience! It’s not her fault, and this is not a bashing! I wanted her to be successful (I hope most did) No other business would make such an unexplainable move though 😪

[@jraybay]

Sad to see the state of Williams now. I was born in the 90's and never really saw them at their best, but to see the slow and agonizing decline these last 15ish years is sad knowing their winning history. They're the last of a dying breed. I hope they can keep their name and some sort of independent identity.

[@vanhamgee]

Williams was not the same after Bottas left for Mercedes. Bottas overtook the Mercedes cars at Silverstone in the start of the race & Wolfe was panicking. Bottas fought with Kimi in a Ferrari back in the day until they crashed into each other.

[@moghaddam2002]

I feel the family feud within the Williams family especially evident in the Netflix documentary is probably the biggest factor you forgot the mention.

[@DanCapostagno]

If we're living through the Darkest Timeline for Williams, then in an alternate universe where Williams doesn't make these mistakes, we'd see Nico Hulkenberg winning in a Newey-designed, BMW-powered, Martini-liveried car funded by Stroll & BMW. Just think about Nico in the white Martini car with the BMW engine noise.

[@rcurtis7583]

Claire Williams has to feature here I sadly think - not being able to even have the car ready for testing at the start of last year was an embarrassment and surely that fault has to lie with senior management.

[@TheGravyMonster]

Agreed. It seems the list fell short of pointing fingers, but ultimately the buck stops at her door.

[@CertainlySpooky]

Technically that was down to Paddy Lowe.

[@seager87]

@@CertainlySpooky but who hired Paddy Lowe? Somebody else must have seen the disaster coming.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Her "out", I suppose, is that she is only the "deputy" principal - supposedly daddy is still the principal so it's still daddy's fall to take.

[@rcurtis7583]

@@CertainlySpooky Lowe clearly walked in thinking they just needed a kick up the backside from a technical point of view and a bit of alternative thinking, but probably didn't realise how bad things were financially before joining. On that drive to survive doc it seemed as if they were having massive cash flow issues, struggling to even pay parts suppliers, pretty damning.

[@abelardions7600]

6:12 I'd like to state the fact that, even being a pay driver, Sirotkin is a good driver. Plus, what happened with Bruno Senna is shameful

[@justme-hh4vp]

what happened to Bruno?

[@chrisniess1274]

Great video. As an F1 fan over 40 years seeing where Williams was to where they are is sad and not good for F1.

[@otaviofrnazario]

I have mixed feelings about it. They have a ton of history and all that. I'm younger and maybe with some tendencies, since the last time Williams had a World Championship was the year I was born. But it looks like, fome everything I've read and watched that Williams made their own bed. That's the prize for mad mismanagement and the thought that your past will give you things forever

[@alc-d4163]

Many people forget that in the latter stages of the 2004 season, BMW extended their contract with Williams until 2009. Additionally, at the start of 2005 BMW revealed that Sauber would become their second team alongside Williams. However, because the relationship soured so quickly due to the decline of Williams' results and politics between the two parties, BMW bought out Sauber and cut ties with Williams.

[@josedacunhafilho]

For me, the decline of Williams began in 1992 when Frank fired Mansell who had just won the championship and nine races for him. And it continued on with a nefarious trend of firing world champions to prove to the world anyone could win in his cars. Prost, followed, then Hill, then Villeneuve. And since then, Williams was never dominant again. Karma? Lack of humility? Truth is, Frank forgot to value his drivers, and to value the car more than the human who deove it.

[@ThermicLight]

At that stage in Formula One drivers had increasingly become less and less critical while mechanics and engineers became overwhelmingly more important.

[@hernansalto-dumbattemptracing]

Only Mansell and Hill was fired,well,sort of,Mansell was not renewed and fell off in favour of Coulthard prior to 1995 and after winning His title he step out because Prost was signed and didn't wanted to suffer things like those in his Ferrari days,Hill was treated like a dog,Prost retired and Villeneuve quit the team after an awful 98 season and willing to start a team with his manager and friend

[@sz4128]

JV left for the money. I remember some of his interviews where he constantly remarked about earning the same amount as Michael Schumacher.

[@pb5x5]

They also forgot you need a good driver to develop the car, even if it is good car to start with.

[@matth1589]

He didn't fire Mansell, he hired Prost and Mansell, who felt that being French - Prost would get preferential treatment from Renault, threw a bit of strop and went to Indycar. He didn't fire Prost. He hired Senna, and Prost just couldn't the thought of having the same atmosphere that they had a Mclaren and retired. He did replace Hill, but let's not forget that Hill was already in his mid-30's and Frentzen was signed in 1995 when Hill was having a bad year. They could have done things to tip the title fight towards Villeneuve, but they didn't. They gave Hill equal treatment knowing that he would leave with the number 1 plate. In 1995 Frentzen's reputation still came from comparisons made to Michael Schumacher when they were in the same Mercedes sportscar team. Frentzen it was claimed had been the faster driver. Also, you could say that Newey was directly linked to Hill getting fired. Hill has unusually big feet for an F1 driver. Newey has admitted that the 1996 car was the first one he had designed to fit Hill's feet properly. I don't think it is coincidental that Hill had a lot of problems braking in the very tightly packaged '95 car. Villeneuve, also not fired by Williams, he chose to join his manager at they newly formed BAR. Want to go back before that. Rosberg, decided to leave in '85 just before Honda came good. Piquet left because Williams were losing Honda engines, why because Williams had refused to get rid of Mansell and put a Japanese number 2 beside Piquet . They also thought Frank's paralysis would stop him from running the team. Frank's major issue was not that he would callously fire world champions. It's that he assumed that they would stay when he hired another number 1 driver to sit next to them. He never got past his early years with Alan Jones, and just expected his drivers to have the same mentality as the Aussie.

[@whitleybayman123]

I really felt for the Williams family today, Claire and the legend Frank. Good luck to both and we hope the Williams name last forever

[@geordiemik72]

I took a great interest when Claire took the job she now has as I thought it could be a good move. I would call myself a fan of hers, but unfortunately she has shown weaknesses. Nico Rosberg did a long interview with her for his youtube channel which was very interesting. Unfortunately there are a couple of places where she let us see that what you might call the 'killer instinct' is not quite there. Given that the atmosphere within any organisation tends to come from the top down, the whole team probably reacts, maybe even unconsciously, to her occasionally slightly flaky performances. Having said that, I think some of the criticisms aimed at Frank in these comments are valid. It might improve things if Claire was actually given the title of Team Principal rather than deputy and given the powers that go with it. I would really like to see her succeed.

[@artpereira]

The biggest change for better that can happen with Williams is totally new management with people that know what they are doing

[@stephenhowlett6345]

I lost respect for Williams when they sacked Damon Hill but never wanted them to go to the bottom of the pile. Theve never looked like a happy team they always got a grimace on their faces and never a smile from the start.

[@Bloodrayne800]

Same for me, they did the same thing to Piquet and Mansell as well though.

[@ivaneurope]

@@Bloodrayne800 To be fair Piquet left on his own accords after he insulted Nigel and his wife.

[@cjsnowdon]

ivaneurope agreed! Piquet knew he needed to stay with Honda! He all but had a deal for McLaren to partner Prost in 88! Dennis preferred him over senna! Prost said take Ayrton! Wonder what Prost made of that decision a couple of years later 🤔 Sacking of Damon helped speed up (no pun intended) Neweys move out of the team! Little known fact, but it’s true!

[@Bloodrayne800]

@@cjsnowdon Never heard that before, you got any sources for it?

[@sheikyerbouti83]

@@Bloodrayne800 Adrian Newey talks about it in his autobigraphy. He had a clause in his contract that Pat Head and Frank would consult him on major decisions like drivers and such. But he found out they were sacking damon through the grapevine after the deal had been done.

[@spac18]

The main issue with Williams is Frank Williams mistreating drivers, considering them as mere employees rather than the centre of the team's universe.

[@hurronivich2652]

Yes, it was this attitude which disillusioned Newey in the first place, especially when Mansell and Hill were kicked out of the team.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

@@hurronivich2652 I still has no idea why they kicked a reigning world champion. Dick move really

[@Mich_-mu7fz]

When you blame everything against Claire Williams and come across this comment...

[@shivamshuklaaa]

BMW produced the most powerful engine on the grid in just their second season in. Not only it was the most powerful, it was also the lighter than every other engine Ferrari included. That's just an incredible achievement. They would have never pulled out of F1 had they won the championship. But the egos of Frank and Head was too big even for BMW.

[@CapHowdy]

So why did BMW fail so badly as a constructor team? That had nothing to do with Frank and Patricks egos did it. They had one win as a constructor, and 10 wins with Williams. Sounds to me like BMW were just as big headed, thinking they were the bees knees. Criticise Williams all you want, but BMW were hardly blameless. Williams may have gone backwards after their split with BMW, but BMW hardly went forwards.

[@bingus5031]

My boy Edd Straw back at it again with the CONTENT

[@SilverScarletSpider]

Nepotism is never a replacement for effective leadership.

[@AlonsoRules]

just look at NASCAR and North Korea

[@SilverScarletSpider]

Anthony Kernich True, just look at any inbred royal family and the british monarchy. Nepotism does not work.

[@RACECAR]

To be frank (See what I did there?), Nepotism isn't the problem with Williams. At the root of it all, the guy who started the team IS the problem.

[@recipoldinasty]

Anthony Kernich i mean look at the us lol

[@pokeboi5438]

The last good CTO Williams had was Symonds, at least he was capable of developing chassis’ capable of running high up in the midfield. Not to mention losing Bottas after 2016 was a huge blow to the team...

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

He saw it coming when Williams signed Stroll to partner him. Mercedes had an available seat and he took it

[@GloomGaiGar]

wasn't Bottas under a Mercedes contract by then?

[@annam4804]

Williams' shortcomings are f1's shortcomings, making the spec so outlandish that no privateers can compete with the big teams

[@lunasilvermoon2283]

@@user-go9tc3cw4b you're correct, it's bad management for the most part and taking WAY too much pride in their ''privateer'' status. Red Bull is still a privateer team that is partnered (not owned by) Honda and they are on the verge of breaking the dominant Mercedes team. So i'd say Red Bull Racing is a perfect example that a privateer CAN be succesful... if you play your cards right.

[@Adithya13303]

Haas and RP are privateers too. And I think if Haas get their 2018 form with 2 decent drivers they can challenge for the 3rd spot in the constructors.

[@ckcoolic]

Red Bull and Haas have revenue streams they can tap into. The title sponsor is also the constructor. They are not privateers in the same manner as Williams.

[@luvbansal8777]

@@ckcoolic Force India could be considered as a privateer which finished 4th in 2017 and 2018 with such a low budget...

[@lunasilvermoon2283]

@@ckcoolic Perhaps, but they are certainly no manufacturer teams either. The idea is similar and Williams could have gone down that route as well with clever managment and not clinging onto their own brand as ''williams racing'' as tight as they have.

[@DM-it2ch]

The first nine reasons can all be summed up with two simple reasons: Frank Williams is stubborn and unable to keep up with modern developments; and Claire Williams is a weak manager and refuses to take advice. So sad to witness the demise of a once great team.

[@StopballSport]

1. Frank unfortunately lost the plot a long time ago. 2. His appointment of Claire. Added to the loss of Newey, these are the major reasons why Williams is about to be consigned to history.

[@AlonsoRules]

Sam Michael did just as much damage

[@pjsmoulder]

Didn't have to wait to find a Claire comment. No one ever elaborates on exactly how Claire Williams is responsible for the decline of the team, when the two years following her appointment as Deputy, saw the teams highest placed finishes for a decade. She got the sponsorship deal with Martini, and the car lost it for them. Frank needs to step down completely, and let her get on with it. Het duties as Deputy Principle are basically non-existent. They are her duties as director of communications and marketing, with 'spokesperson' added on.

[@timmyy24]

Claire has a marketing background not a overall view of F1 to be an effective team boss

[@foobar8894]

Whatever you say of Claire, so always had to fight an uphill battle given how F1 has changed. They amount of money needed to run a successful team has exploded. The discrepancy between what the different teams get from F1 made that even worse. She may not have been the best, but given the circumstances it would have been really difficult for anyone...

[@SaveThePurpleRhino]

I was an avid followers of F1 in the early 90s. Sad to see the privateers struggle and failing since then. Feel something a miss when you don’t see Benetton, Jordan, Tyrell, Sauber, etc from the constructors lineup. It’s only McLaren left now, although I’m not sure if they still a privateers.

[@adr0110]

Great video, so sad to see Williams where it is at the moment...

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

There is a crazy fact about Williams, despite their decline, they always seem to employ F1 race winners Of the 42 drivers that have ever started an F1 Grand Prix for Williams, 26 have won an F1 Grand Prix. 15 of them won while at Williams

[@mladenpavlenic1273]

Good analysis, you hit it spot on. I think that Patrick and Frank stuck around too long, and Claire Williams can't fill their shoes. McLaren said YES to Mercedes, Williams should have done the same to BMW. They missed great opportunity with BMW, when you look back and partnership with BMW, they were unconcentrated, sloppy and made many mistake which are forbidden if you want to be champion.

[@Balnazzardi]

Would be really sad to see Williams name disappear from F1...as anyone who isnt completely new to F1 knows, only Mclaren and Ferrari have richer history in the sport. As others have said, I wish Williams had continued partnership with BMW but sadly that didnt happen. They never truly recovered after that partnership ended, not even when they momentarily got big boost from Mercedes PUs in 2014-2015.

[@andynorton4854]

Didn't mention the management change that put Claire 'in charge' - Nepotism is even worse than pay drivers i am afraid.

[@StuartGarlick]

Mostly because she secured the Martini and Rokit deals in a time when McLaren couldn't get a sniff of a title sponsor. A lot of people would have us believe Claire is terrible, but the more inconvenient truth is that a CEO constantly fighting their board is always going to be in trouble, and the Williams movie, along with DTS, show someone who was not the main point of failure.

[@ThermicLight]

Nepotism isn't inherently bad but it doesn't inherently earn one respect either. Rather results are what matter.

[@ThermicLight]

@@StuartGarlick - Don't expect a promotional documentary of that kind to be all that sincere or candid in what goes on behind the scenes.

[@AdamTheMan1993]

Not having the financial backing of a major car manufacturer that Williams has had in the past with Honda, Renault and BMW is the main reason why Williams has struggled against some of the top teams

[@dragroch5536]

You know what, WIlliams would have been named Racing Point if they allowed Strolls to take over. I would hate it if that happened.

[@wanderingjuniper]

When you’ve had such success with one strategy it can be more difficult to make the necessary changes.

[@chrisreadman4282]

They need a manufacturer backing. And I don’t mean just a engine supply.

[@StarFox85]

lada 🤣🤣🤣 hyundai would do it...but nobody wants to work with williams

[@davidp.7620]

The only problem is that with engines this complicated, no nee manufacturer will ever think of joining. Just look at what happened to Honda. Who would like to take the same steps?

[@cereal-killer4455]

Williams-Ford has a nice ring to it

[@StarFox85]

​@@davidp.7620 well they will drop the MGH-H

[@StarFox85]

@@cereal-killer4455 williams ecoboost 🤣🤣👍

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

Also, when F1 telly rights were sold to ITV, Frank didn't want ITV to have a World Champion to promote their telly show. I can see the point Frank was trying to make. BBC 2 showed a motor race. ITV hosted a big budget telly extravaganza. Frank threw Damon under the bus.

[@jonelson1983]

John Gerring They dumped Hill because both Frank & Patrick didn't think he could regularly cut it in wheel to wheel battles, especially with Schumacher. They thought Frentzen would be a better long term bet, as he was ex-Merc sportscar junior team & many had rated him as Schumacher's potential future rival. Bad choice, but Hill didn't do himself any favours on occasions , especially in '95, when Schumacher creamed him.

[@pb5x5]

@@jonelson1983 Schumacher was undisputed number one in each of his championship years where as at Williams they just let their drivers take points off each other. Yes I think Schumacher was a better driver but he always got the whole team behind him and that helped him a lot. Hill did beat Schumacher in the rain in Suzuka in 1994.

[@sloppynyuszi]

I would love to see Andretti in F1. Invest in Williams, train Marco for the Indy team and have Michael run Williams. I rather other privateer take over, than a manufacturer that will only be there for half a decade and leave.

[@deabreu.tattoo]

It's only gonna be possible if the new concorde agreement doesn't shaft the smaller teams to syphon money to the richer ones like the current one does. budget cap is a good start, but a better split of the F1 money pie is the best bet for a healthy sport

[@otaviofrnazario]

@@deabreu.tattoo true. But How to do It with Ferrari being like Don Vito purposing irrefusable deals? The rules either go their way or they leave and take F1 to the mud with them

[@pauloliver6813]

You highlight the failure to replace Patrick Head, but fail to address the elephant in the room...Frank Williams inevitably, as the years went by, was less and less able to influence the running of the team. The affect on the decline of the team with the promotion of Claire Williams is debatable, but based on the declining influence of Frank Williams. Why isn't this mentioned at all?

[@OldManBadly]

Sadly, much of Williams decline can be attributed pretty much directly to Claire Williams. She seemed determined only to please her Father by keeping the team operating, and made few moves to get them team forward. The team was stuck in the past and didn't prepare for the future. There is hope for 2022 if they happen to have a decent aero / mechanical grip package, otherwise they will be years before the get a sniff of being really good again. Best thing to happen to them in the last 5 years or so has been selling the team. it allowed for big changes at the top which were sorely needed.

[@marek7641]

Main reason is Claire not have any idea about how F1 team works and pushing Head on the side lines. I’m happy that she said “she will Never sell Williams” And now she is yelling how great of an idea this is and it is all according to her plan

[@GloomGaiGar]

Yeah but who appointed her? Who caused the fall before she was appointed? Were Williams a legitimate championship contender before Claire was in charge?

[@MeganeMondeoMX5]

No mentions of the Rokit sponsorship being lost I see🤔

[@Jimmie92]

DarkStryder360 Yeah because their decline hadn’t already started way before that....

[@RichardsRockin]

@@Jimmie92 their decline started before covid19 too, yet, it is here

[@huwgrossmith9555]

Williams did the split not Rokit.

[@stunimbus1543]

I thought replacing Pat Simmons with Paddy Lowe was a mistake.

[@matteosmolari4521]

What about Claire Williams?

[@andrewmcphee8965]

It breaks my heart to see Williams in the position it is now. F1 needs privateer teams, manufacturer's come and go according to market whims and downturns, they have no commitment. Long live Williams. so many great memories.

[@lionnelmurimi651]

It causes me physical pain to see Williams like this. my days are darker. I wish i could do something about it

[@jontyjames9121]

Great video, to be fair you could probably name 20 moments that have led to the Williams decline

[@leumas75]

Thank you for not taking the easy way out (as I have seen so manny do as of late) and just blame Claire.

[@jordanstriker1656]

I would hate to see Williams leave F1 as it is such an iconic team. Great video. Thanks Ed Straw!

[@Yahniboy]

The day Williams and Head refused Newey to get shares of the company simple as that

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

A lot of these issues can be summed up as Frank and Patrick not wanting to give up control

[@Cleveritalian]

The problem with Williams is simple. Poor management due to huge ego's.

[@jacooosthuizen3593]

Exactly when you made it big like they did back in the day, your name on a car. you cant let go of that. Its impossible. But terrible for the team :(

[@MikuFan3931]

They forgot Driver-Changes. You need a consistent driver line-up to create long time succes.

[@pauloliver6813]

Agreed. They never found a way to keep a line-up of drivers that complemented each other, and often drivers were sacked or released bizarrely-Damon Hill for example.

[@GloomGaiGar]

@@pauloliver6813 never found a way or refused to find a way

[@chrisj6321]

Stabbed Nigel in the back by signing Prost.

[@madkhaliqfarhan]

But Nigel chose to leave at the end of 1992...

[@didleydee4218]

I think you found all the reasons. I remember when I first started watching F1 and didn't believe that Tyrrell and Brabham had once been top teams yet now I see the same with Williams and McLaren. McLaren are starting their recovery and I hope Williams can too.

[@Bigfarmer8]

Nepotism, as some mentioned. might be a reason. Although I respect the man very highly, I think Frank should have backed out of the team completely a decade ago. Claire has never had full control, daddy always watching over her shoulder. No clear leadership means no clear direction.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

What skills does she have? Is she an engineer? Nope. Does she have a racing background? Nope. Does she have a strong managerial background? Nope. She's just Frank Williams daughter. That's all. So...what would be the benefit of expanding her authority?

[@daanverstegen5492]

Ok, but why does the car in the thumbnail look SO GOOD

[@vedranpevec4483]

11. Claire Williams 12. Paddy Lowe

[@BD4-ManchesterIsRed]

@Kim Yo Jong's Sandwich You clearly don't know anything about F1.

[@adityanarain9428]

@Kim Yo Jong's Sandwich LEL, LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE BORN PRETTY LATE.

[@deabreu.tattoo]

I think Claire just continued her father's management philosophy. She wasn't around when they lost Honda, BMW and Newey because of stubborness, and I bet my balls she didn't have the autonomy to turn things around when needed.

[@b3rs]

Why Paddy Lowe?

[@vedranpevec4483]

@@b3rs he was responsible for 2019 car

[@brav0wing]

Let's hope Dorilton can turn things around for 2022 with the new changes and the leveling of the field. Finishing top 5 in 2022 is doable.

[@arthursmith9767]

The way Williams could leave F1 but I would want Audi to come to F1

[@arthursmith9767]

Am I first LMAO

[@clemensfischer3887]

Audi doesnt have enough money

[@ryanjohnson4895]

Lamborghini ,Bmw, koenigsegg or Porsche would be good aswell

[@ryanjohnson4895]

@@clemensfischer3887 they do, Volkswagen owns them and they make mega stacks

[@vedangsupatkar5720]

@@clemensfischer3887 they have alps of money from lemans and other stuff But I dont see them joining f1

[@joe5boost]

really hope who ever buys or invests in the team can bring the cars back up to the front . f1 needs names like this in the sport , but reading the comments i can understand more why than in the video , great vid though , keep up the good work

[@deploy_leroy]

11th Reason/Moment - *Claire Williams*

[@goqsane]

Nobody at "The Race" had the guts to name her. Probably for being called a misogynist or whatever. She is playing that card hard. The fact is, SHE IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE OF A TEAM BOSS. Get out Claire and hand it over to your much-more-suited brother if it really has to remain in the family. You've had your chance.

[@deploy_leroy]

@@goqsane her brother or someone who actually is passionate about Williams Racing.

[@keyboardwarrior327]

@@deploy_leroy She's passionate.

[@deploy_leroy]

@@keyboardwarrior327 Then bring someone more Passionate than her.

[@TheAngrySaxon1]

The bungling FIA making costly rule changes almost yearly certainly hasn't helped.

[@Jun-jd2xz]

Edd Straw his voice is just so soothing. That is all. (yeah, Claire is just nepotism gone wrong, shocking)

[@rexstetson1717]

Claire wasn’t mentioned in this video, nor has she been mentioned as the problem from from any F1 insiders. How is it that you know she’s the problem? The team was in decline when her father was still in charge. Can you give even one concrete example of something she’s done wrong as deputy team principal? Otherwise it just sounds like you’re just lazily laying blame at the feet of someone, when you really have no idea one way or the other.

[@jordwright507]

When Honda split with McLaren midway through 2017, Williams should have pounced on a paternership. Instead, the multi-millions that Honda bring to the table got swollowed up into the already deep pocketed Red Bull stable, with Williams still running the ever decreasing advantaged Mercedes engine.

[@mauricecasey5556]

Massive egos and in fighting, letting Mansell Hill and Newey go. I feel for Claire Williams, she has been thrown to the wolves. Cowards!

[@Flyboy0985]

The technical issues with Williams wind tunnel data and its lack of correlation with on track car data, coming back since 5 years ago or so, also paved the way to its ongoing crisis. Unfortunately😪. Let’s hope the team can be saved one way or another🙏🏼

[@paulcopsey6573]

They also made some poor driver choices, letting good guys go & getting in paid or lower cost drivers. You get what you pay for in life, in this case trips into the gravel traps, colliding with other cars & poor technical feedback.

[@eudofia]

They had no choice. You bring in the good drivers, but good drivers alone don't win races. You still need a ton of money to develop the car. Case in point, Fernando Alonso in his second stint at McLaren couldn't win any race. Meanwhile mediocre drivers like Danil Kvyat in a well designed RedBull was scoring points and getting some ocational podiums. In F1, you need a combination of both money and good drivers. Williams didn't have money, so they went for paid drivers.

[@GloomGaiGar]

"letting good guys go" or they left for better teams because you know, they want to score points

[@acegarcia3719]

There definitely good enough to be a midfeild team, the problem is they got it completely wrong in 2018, and they haven't been able to recover.

[@John-ok8ts]

They lost Newey. Ever since has just been managed decline which has now come to it's all too predictable conclusion. Independents need geniuses to offset their lack of money. McLaren is going through the same now but at least they have recognized that to continue racing at the top they need to have another revenue stream to pay for it.

[@jamesreynolds2867]

Any team that had Adrian Newey onboard but allowed him leave, deserves all they get, could you imagine that powerful BMW engine in a Newey- designed car?

[@Lonelyplanet3]

Happens when engineering is sidelined

[@GloomGaiGar]

ironically, their non-F1 engineering business is profitable

[@jestertheslacker]

May 1st 1994 is when the first stitch came lose. Just kept unraveling after that.

[@radityaindera3442]

Yeah always felt the lost of Stroll senior to Racing Point is very dumb move. He's literally perfect kind of person for them. I'm surprised Claire Williams isn't on the list.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Shooting fish in a barrel, I guess.

[@kevinscott1697]

Losing Adrian Newey and Renault engines at the same time in 1997 was the biggest reason they fell away and it was at a particularly bad time because the regulations were changing for 1998 so everyone was designing new cars and it wasn’t just an evolution of the 1997 cars which might have kept them more competitive and without Newey the 1998 chassis wasn’t as good and the Mechachrome, Supertec engines weren’t as good as the Mercedes in the Mclaren, letting Damon Hill go was a step backwards as he was a very good test driver, he was on a big salary and Williams were about to lose their lucrative sponsorship deal with Rothmans and Hill wouldn’t take a pay cut.

[@jjjohniee]

Probably down to Frank, although Claire was put in charge I very much doubt she has much say and as everybody knows, but everybody, Frank is one awkward SOB!

[@sjeese4666]

Now that Rokit pulled the plug, there is not much light at the end of the tunnel... So sad to see them go through this, I hope they will get out of this, but I have to say Claire is not really managing the team well.

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

Williams pulled the plug, not Rokit. It makes the sale deal easier as there are no other sponsor deals in the way of negotiations. Read real news, not idiots on Twitter.

[@donovanwillemse6592]

All of these played a role, but the real reason was Frank himself..

[@dukeoversteer]

They should have kept Barrichello for 2012

[@bulalidazana3127]

Claire Williams not mentioned...I'm surprised

[@danksonn]

Reason is that the time has changed. Brabham, Lotus, Tyrell, ....Williams :(

[@pjay3028]

You've got to throw nepotism in here, surely?

[@ThermicLight]

Nepotism isn't inherently bad but it doesn't inherently earn one respect either. Rather results are what matter.

[@The_Curious_Cat]

One thing that must happen is the revenue distribution must be fair... So far it´s been the big three hoarding most of the gains and the others fighting for scraps. This must change.