Williams – How long can they go on?

[cider_and_toast]

F1Brits_90, Murray was wrong. Most of the design work on the FW18 had already been completed by Newey before he'd left for McLaren.

Williams still had the best engine on the grid for one more season and in Villeneuve they had a very good driver who had a years experience with the team.

McLaren were 4th in the constructors, 60 points behind Williams in 1997. By 1998 McLaren won both drivers and constructors titles and Williams had slipped to third with no wins and over 110 points behind McLaren. That's when the team felt the loss of Newey and Renault.

 

[Il_leone]

I will always say William's decline started with sacking Hill because he was the perfect test driver this is what made Newey leave Williams as he was not consulted about it. Williams relationship with BMW fell apart because the latter felt they had the best engine and were being held back. To be fair Williams were right as BMW quit within 4 years. The revived partnership with Renault would have been better had they not dropped Hulkenberg for drivers with money. As much I admire Frank's courage it bought a sad tear when I watched the documentary last year what he did to build up the team and go through to keep it going but also the rift caused by Claire running the team and not Jonathan. I have to say Claire Williams is at fault for the team's decline. They might have just missed the boat now that Toto has invested in Aston Martin because it might have become the official Merc junior team. However Audi withdrew from DTM in 2021 so watch out if connections to them is being banded around

 

[F1Brits_90]

cider_and_toast ive got it fast forward to 1hr 38. you'll get murray monologue with as a sporting romantic is sad for me