Adam Parr
The following is a transcipt of a question and answer session with Adam Parr, Chairman of Williams F1.
Q. It sounds like Williams is considering a flotation on the stock exchange. Would that be correct?
ASP. Yes, it would be correct to say that Williams F1 is considering a flotation on the stock exchange. At this stage, all we have concluded is that it is the best way to secure the future of the team and its 450 employees. Continue reading
Formula One is set to face it’s most radical overhaul in 2013, after further potential technical regulations were leaked, following the announcement of the new engine specification (which you can read about here).
The new technical regulations have been drawn up by Patrick Head, Engineering Director of Williams F1, and Rory Byrne, former Chief Designer at Benetton and Ferrari, and are expected to be the biggest shake-up to the sport since 1983.
Head and Byrne were asked by incoming FIA President Jean Todt to look into the issue of overtaking back in March.
Continue reading
Thursday saw the latest meeting of the FOTA Technical Working Group ahead of a drastic slate of rule changes for 2013. Continue reading
One of the first Frank Williams F1 cars, the FW06
Williams-Toyota part-owner Frank Williams says his team will focus the majority of their efforts on their 2009 car after another disappointing performance at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend.
The Grove-based team were tipped as one of the favourites to fight behind the top squads during pre-season testing, and they lived up to that when Nico Rosberg finished on the podium in the opening race in Australia.
Williams’s performances, however, have become worse as the season progressed, as non-privateer teams progress more rapidly than independents like Williams, and the team have scored just two points in the last seven races. They are currently tied with Toro Rosso-Ferrari in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Williams said during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that his team are not planning any more significant developments for the last five races of the 2008 calendar, and instead will focus on 2009.
“We recognise that we are right at the back of the grid effectively, too often though not every time. We recognise that this year’s car is almost as developed as we can successfully do it, short of a major revamp of all the aerodynamics and next year’s car [with the drastic rule changes for 2009] is the one where we pin our hopes.
“We’re not saying ‘watch out for our next race’ because it isn’t going to be like that. We just have to soldier on and get more out of what we’ve got.
“There are one or two little bits for the remaining races but essentially our main focus is on next year’s car because it is almost a fresh start for everybody with the aero rules. We started on that quite a long time ago and we will see how it works for us.”
Several new rules will come into play next season in order to improve the spectacle by reducing speeds and increasing overtaking, in a revamp that could see any team make a significant jump in performance.
Williams is confident his team will do a good job with the KERS system to be introduced next season, although he believes that building it themselves will not mean they will have an advantage over their rivals.
“It is not as though it will give us a particular advantage. We think, as most manufacturers, we will do a good job with KERS. Patrick [Head] has his own group in the company and we have been working on it for a number of months. It is much more affordable if you do it yourself providing you are successful with it.
“We are doing it because we have to do it. I imagine most people will come out with roughly similar horsepower.”
Neal’s View: The sweeping rule changes for 2009 meant that many teams switched focus to 2009 once they realised they were not going to be competitive in 2008. The 2009 cars will see an end to the evolutionary development (because of the rule changes) and any car could be winning races next season. Although the top three should still be at the front, there is no reason why Honda, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, and even Williams cannot close the gap.
The Pitstraight 