Commissario
I’m really sad to see this news.
Let's face facts: Williams haven't performed for many years. And that's down to Frank & Claire. Hopefully they'll fare better under new ownership. Dorilton own a number of related companies so the Williams team should benefit.
Commissario
I know and it’s really sad to see them propping up the field the way they are. It can’t be a bad thing, it’s just a shame and despite what that says, I’m sure the name will disappear at some point.
I'm really happy, pretty much zero changes, except a tonne more resources and money available to the team.
Location of base remains, team name remains the same, chassis naming stays the same, staff remain the same, roles of staff remain the same, so Claire will still do all the day to day running of it all, they were all pretty hard red lines during the negotiations that Claire and Frank were never giving in to.
Don't see how this is anything but a massive positive for the team
Soldato
I’d agree with this, overall it is a massive positive for the team. Though I’m not sure about Claire staying. She has never come across as particularly good in the role and the clips of her shown in drive to survive only reinforced that for me.
What business do they own with transferable technology/skills?
Soldato
Soldato
I can't overstate how important one of the companies on their portfolo, Island Abbey Foods, is. They have access to the only company in the world to have perfected a manufacturing technology to transform honey into a solid form.
https://www.doriltoncapital.com/portfolio/island-abbey-foods/
There's AUT Solutions for testing and MEI for logistics (getting kit from A to B).
All they are really lacking is serious technical leadership, they have not really had any since Pat Symonds left in my view.
Now they have serious capital behind them they need to invest heavily in technical leadership that will stay for several years to really tie the team down from the top.
Claire is great in many aspects of the day to day running, she did an amazing job getting the funding together to run at all this year, and was very good during negotiations before the eventual buyout.
But she will be the first to admit she is not as engineering minded as her dad, hence getting Patrick Head back on board to help rebuild that side of the team.
He can only do so much and his role is basically only a consultancy one anyway.
They sorely need a new Patrick Head or Pat Symonds on the technical side whipping the team into shape, hopefully with the money available now they can source an old head or two and then the the future will look very bright.
Get a chassis to match the Mercedes engine and they will catapult straight up to the sharp end of mid field within a year, i'm certain of that.
I agree because they were mighty back in the day.
He has not gone he is still the founder and team principle, and a major player on the board.
Without his agreement none of this would have happened, he is 100% behind this as it will give them masses of resources and yet leave the team exactly as it is.
The way Dorilton work is very much over the long term. They leave companies as they are and just provide investment to let their companies grow and prosper over the long term, with little involvement or leverage on a day to day basis.
Caporegime
Claire Williams last race in charge:
Sad to see the end of the Williams name in the team, but she hasn't exactly had a brilliant run.
Sad to see the end of the Williams name in the team, but she hasn't exactly had a brilliant run.
Whether it's her fault or not, she was in charge during the severe decline of Williams, and the buck stops with her. She's not been willing to fall on her sword previously, so I can only guess it's been part of the buyout that she gets replaced with someone else in order to move the team forwards.
She's got a young family, so maybe she's had enough of the F1 circus, and the timing is agreeable to her too.
Man of Honour
The Williams family to step away from the team after this weekends Italian GP, a sad day
https://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-family-leaving-after-monza/
https://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-family-leaving-after-monza/
Soldato
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Claire Williams will stand down from her role as Deputy Team Principal after the race on Sunday.
The first of several changes I expect. It's obvious that when a company is sold there will be changes, especially when that company has been struggling.
It's naive to think that changes won't be made, they're necessary.
The first of several changes I expect. It's obvious that when a company is sold there will be changes, especially when that company has been struggling.
It's naive to think that changes won't be made, they're necessary.
Man of Honour
There's some top people not with a current team who could be a good fit; hell if they've got the money I'd get Stefano Domenicali in although there seems to be some Haas rumours doing the rounds for him.
Or it could all go wrong and they could get Flavio Briatore in...
Or it could all go wrong and they could get Flavio Briatore in...
Caporegime
She opened brightly with William's best results in a decade. Her biggest mistake seemed to be bringing in Paddy Lowe to replace Pay Symonds - and, honestly, who could have expected that he would stuff it up so badly given his background? - but, as you say, the buck stops with her. Whether it was her fault or not, I think it's fair to ask her to carry the can.