Williams F1 team sold

Steampunk said:
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.
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The decline really started when she denied BMW a stake in the team and they left. They haven’t had a good engine partner since then, even during the Toyota years.
 
Entai said:
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.
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That post aged well :p:D
 
Saw this coming but not so soon. I posted the below in the general thread:

Dup said:
Stripping assets for profit isn't the current trend of investment firms but F1 isn't a profit oriented business so I'd love to know what they have planned. Maybe the Williams family are ready to move on and will benefit from an investment firm finding ways to add "value".
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There must be some incentive in it for them step aside but this is a huge blow to F1's heritage. You'd have thought there was some petrolhead billionaire out there willing to invest in the legacy and put the team right. Could only every have been a labour of love though sadly.

The team deserve better. I can imagine after the transition they will be sold "cheap" to a brand looking to get into F1.
 
Looks like the Williams family were offered the opportunity to stay on (what they are saying to the press) and it was their choice to step away. Probably better than being pushed at the end of the season.

Racefans had an article recently about the sale trying to dig in to find the new owners with some interesting links.
 
MissChief said:
The decline really started when she denied BMW a stake in the team and they left. They haven’t had a good engine partner since then, even during the Toyota years.
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That's a neat trick, considering Williams and BMW parted ways at the end of the 2005 season and Claire didn't become deputy team principal until March 2013 ;) I believe she was in team communications and marketing before that.
 
JRS said:
That's a neat trick, considering Williams and BMW parted ways at the end of the 2005 season and Claire didn't become deputy team principal until March 2013 ;) I believe she was in team communications and marketing before that.
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True, when Frank denied then.
 
Steeps said:
Looks like the Williams family were offered the opportunity to stay on (what they are saying to the press) and it was their choice to step away. Probably better than being pushed at the end of the season.

Racefans had an article recently about the sale trying to dig in to find the new owners with some interesting links.
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Wasn't there some rumour of a link to Bernie?
 
MissChief said:
The decline really started when she denied BMW a stake in the team and they left. They haven’t had a good engine partner since then, even during the Toyota years.
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Given the complete lack of commitment BMW showed in their involvement with Sauber - despite some impressive results in those years - I'm not convinced that hooking your wagon to BMW's horses was a good idea for anyone. I suspect they'd have bailed on their involvement with Williams too when the Credit Crunch hit. Besides, at that point Williams were still a strong team, who could reasonably expect future success with the independent model they'd employed for the last three decades.
 
It’s odd that they’d go so soon. When my work place (big American company) buys up companies they always try and incentivise the current leadership to stay rather than take the cash and run. Then again, the companies they buy have mostly been successful... I did read something about it being paddy lowes poor car that has been to blame for their current results.
 
It is quite odd they're not at least seeing the season out. Leaving a bit of a power and experience vacuum at the top unless they're planning on bringing some 'F1 people' in? It's hardly like running a bank or something I'd have thought there would have been a bit of a hand over period.
 
Psycho Ned said:
It is quite odd they're not at least seeing the season out. Leaving a bit of a power and experience vacuum at the top unless they're planning on bringing some 'F1 people' in?
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Assuming it's just the Williams leaving, there's still all other senior people in post, and most of the board intact. It doesn't seem like that would be too destabilising.
 
I can see them rebranding in 2022 and getting rid of the Williams name.
 
Claire had to go - the team has needed fresh management for a long time. I suspect Frank decided to leave when Claire was forced out but I guess we will never know.
 
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