Sir Frank and Claire Williams are set to leave the Williams F1 squad

The famous F1 family is leaving the team after 43 years after the Italian GP this weekend and a total of 16 World Championships

0:59

Details about the big news on the Italian GP who pays the first reaction and tribute to the Williams family from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen

Sir Frank Williams and his daughter Clary will leave their roles in the Williams squad – leaving Formula 1 – at the Italian GP this weekend.

The move to complete the historic chapter comes fifteen days after the sale of the famous Grove clothing to US investment firm Torilton Capital.

The Grove team will continue to run in its new era under the Williams name, but will no longer be run by the family.

Sir Frank, who co-founded the outfit with Sir Patrick Head in 1977, holds the championship of seven drivers and nine builders as one of the most successful team leaders / owners in history.

Claire has been in charge of the team since 2013. He first joined the team in 2002 in official capacity.

He said the new owners encouraged them to move on, but they decided it was time to leave, signing a new Concord deal to protect the team’s future through sales.

“With the team’s future now secured, it feels like it’s the right time for us to get out of the game,” Claire Williams said.

“As a family, we have always made Williams a priority. We have proven by our recent actions with a strategic review process that we believe now is the right time to hand over power and take the team to new owners. Future.

“We have been involved in this sport for over four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind. We have always been in love with it and the pure joy of going into motor racing. It was not an easy decision we made, but after much reflection and as a family.

“We greatly appreciate Dorilton’s encouragement to continue, but we know that the team will be in good hands and Williams’ name will continue to live on.

Williams has finished below the standings in each of the last two seasons, and is the only outfit to ever score a point in 2020.

Williams said he was stepping down from his role “with a heavy heart”, believing the family descent should continue before a number of factors, including the impact of the corona virus – forced him to consider a full sale earlier this year.

“I have made the decision to leave the team in order to allow Dorilton a fresh start as new owners. This is not an easy decision, but I believe it is right for everyone involved,” he said.

“I am so blessed to have grown up on this team and in the wonderful world of Formula 1. I have loved every minute and will always be grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But this is an incredibly challenging game and I want to see what else the world has to offer me right now. I want to spend time with family. “

Williams leaves the enduring F1 tradition

Sir Frank, now 78, first got involved in the F1 in 1969, and his first attempt at Frank Williams racing cars, he saw client Prabham chase.

Current team – Williams Grand Prix Engineering – In 1977 Williams operated the project and served as Chief Technical Director.

Originally operating from an old carpet depot in Oxfordshire, Williams won his first race with Clay Regosoni at the 1979 British GP and their first driver’s title the following year with Alan Jones of Australia.

Williams suffered a spinal injury in a road car accident in March 1986, making him tetraplegic.

Williams continued to lead the team, winning a total of seven world titles in the 1980s – four builders and three drivers – before adding nine more between 1992 and 1997.

Although their last title was the 1997 Jack Villeneuve Championship, the team won the races with BMW power in the early 2000s. But there was an eight-year winning streak from 2004 before Pastor Maldonado had a win at the team’s last win, the 2012 Spanish GP.

The transition to Mercedes engines at the start of the F1’s hybrid-turbo era coincided with the results of the strong third – place builders in 2014 and 2015, but they have since slipped back and ended up below the standstill in each of the last two seasons.

But, despite the recent difficulties, the team and family remain very popular and unappreciated.

“On behalf of the Frank and Williams family, I would like to say that we are incredibly grateful and humbled by the support we have enjoyed over the years, from our friends to many fans around the world on the deck,” Claire Williams added.

“But mostly, we want to thank our team for those who have worked for Williams in the past and present.

“They’re the real warriors of this team, what we have created for it, and we congratulate them well. Formula 1 has been our life for so long, and now is the time to start a new chapter in our lives.”