The Williams team has announced the passing of its founder and leader of half a century, Frank Williams , who has departed at age 79. The Briton spent 50 years at the helm of the team, a figure that no one else has reached in the history of the competition, and won a total of 16 world titles, 7 drivers and 9 manufacturers.
Sir Frank , who had been in a wheelchair since a 1986 car accident, had his greatest days of success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he helped elevate drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost to glory. , Damon Hill or Jacques Villeneuve , all of them world champions with the British team.
Sir Frank began to reduce his workload in 2012, when he left the Williams board, and a year later he handed over the leadership of the team to his daughter Claire , but without leaving the position of director. Both left F1 earlier this year after selling the team to investment firm Dorilton Capital .
“After being admitted to hospital on Friday, Sir Frank passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his family. Today we pay tribute to our beloved and inspiring figure. We will miss Frank very much . We request that all friends and colleagues respect the Williams family’s wishes for privacy at this time, ”the team requested in a statement.
For his part, F1 president Stefano Domenicali paid his respects for “a true giant” of the engine. “He overcame life’s toughest challenges and fought every day to win on and off the track. We have lost a much loved and respected member of the F1 family and will be greatly missed. His incredible achievements and his personality will be engraved in our sport forever ”, transmitted the Italian.
It is with great sadness that on behalf of the Williams family, the team can confirm the death of Sir Frank Williams CBE, Founder and Former Team Principal of Williams Racing, at the age of 79.
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) November 28, 2021
