Williams - A cause for concern?

[Slyboogy]

I would rather go to Williams if I was Pat than Virgin...although I don't like Williams they are the better team (obviously) Virgin look as they are going nowhere.

 

[sportsman]

I believe Pat is already consulting for Virgin.

Exactly right Brogan.He is indeed.

 

[teabagyokel]

Anyway, if they have Coughlan around, there's sure to be dossiers from other teams cropping up...?

 

[no-FIAt-please]

You know things are bad for Williams when they're firing parting ways with their head engineer and head of aerodynamics, and then bringing in a disgraced engineer who was the scapegoat of 'Spy-gate'. Frankly Williams are going nowhere, at least for this season and probably not until 2013. It's time Patrick Head moved on completely and they started bringing in talented people who have proven track records. They also should have kept Hulkenberg, I believe pay drivers bring in somewhere under the region of £10 million(?) and I feel even without that money they would have been better off with Nico.

 

[Jen]

Disgrace doesn't make you inept - maybe should have just stuck to engineering.

 

[sportsman]

You know things are bad for Williams when they're firing parting ways with their head engineer and head of aerodynamics, and then bringing in a disgraced engineer who was the scapegoat of 'Spy-gate'. Frankly Williams are going nowhere, at least for this season and probably not until 2013. It's time Patrick Head moved on completely and they started bringing in talented people who have proven track records. They also should have kept Hulkenberg, I believe pay drivers bring in somewhere under the region of £10 million(?) and I feel even without that money they would have been better off with Nico.

Patrick Head is retiring at the end of this season.

 

[FB]

I suppose this begs the question can Williams continue with half of it's "heart" missing? I think FW has already started to make plans for when he retires but is there a future for Williams without either?

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Patrick Head is retiring at the end of this season.

Not necessarily:
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=43474
Of course he might still be, and just took umbrage at Parr for 'announcing' it publicly. Whatever the truth of the matter, it's clear that all is still very far from well within Williams, and you wonder if the parting of Michael and Tomlinson will be the last.

 

[FB]

This is worth a read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/williams_look_for_way_out_of_c.html

 

[Brogan]

I think we're just witnessing the final death throes, as much as it pains me to say it.

 

[Speshal]

As much as it pains me I have to agree with you there.

 

[sportsman]

Not necessarily:
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=43474
Of course he might still be, and just took umbrage at Parr for 'announcing' it publicly. Whatever the truth of the matter, it's clear that all is still very far from well within Williams, and you wonder if the parting of Michael and Tomlinson will be the last.

From Williams share prospectus.

The float prospectus says that “it is the intention of Mr Head… to retire in the course of 2011 and therefore he wishes to sell the majority of his shareholding.” So there we have it, straight from the horse’s mouth: because Head wants to retire he is floating the majority of his shares. Indeed, in the prospectus this is listed in the section entitled ‘reasons for the offering’. So why did Williams decide not to mention it in any of its press releases about the float? Good question.

 

[Pyrope]

I mentioned this...

http://www.jaguar.com/ca/en/#/about_jaguar/c-x75

over at the New Engines thread, already, but I'm wondering whether a hook up with TATA wouldn't perhaps be the big manufacturer link that Williams need to rekindle the fire? After what happened with Walter Wolf Frank is obviously leery about selling his team or rebranding it, but do you think the fiasco with BMW might have made him realise which way the wind blows strongest? Just a thought...

 

[Galahad]

I think it's a fair suggestion. I don't know whether the hook-up with Jaguar has come about solely because Williams have a hybrid system that TATA want to use on the car, or whether there's something deeper in mind.

 

[FB]

Aren't TATA one of Ferrari's sponsors? Not that that should stop them investing into the Williams team, just another peculiarity of the sport - like when Ron Dennis got Tag to pay for an engine for his team when they were still a Williams sponsor.

 

[Andyoak]

It seems from the reports that it is quite a significant Williams input from aerodynamics, carbon fibre manufacture through to KERS / Hybrid power. If that is the case and it goes well then I'm sure Frank will be looking at a partnership deal for the F1 team which also makes sense for Tata; although I don't see a return of the Jaguar name to F1... makes more sense to take them back to LeMans.

But as I said in the new engines thread, it is the rising manufacturers of Korea / China and (missed out) India that will want the prestige of investing and succeeding in F1 to boost their car products and engineering prowess.

 

[Grizzly]

It's time Patrick Head moved on completely and they started bringing in talented people who have proven track records.

??

 

[Slyboogy]

Wouldn't mind seeing Jaguar back in F1....sexy livery they had

 

[tooncheese]

These are WCC positions.

View attachment 1299
-snip-.

Both Lotus and Brabham went through ownership changes shortly before they finally went bankrupt. I can't see Williams ever being sold as long as Frank is still able and with enough money in the bank, even if Williams are a back of the grid team.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

??

I didn't mean Patrick Head wasn't talented, what I should have said was "It's time Patrick Head moved on completely, and to replace him they should bring in someone with a proven track record like Sauber have done with James Key.