Prelude: Ah Williams Engineering, one of the grandest legacies in all of Formula One. You’ve only been around since 1978 and won 7 Driver’s Championships all with different drivers and a whopping 9 Constructor’s titles overall. Even the Evil Empire of Ferrari has only been able to pull off 8 so far. As the new millennium draws closer the expectations will be high for one of the best constructors on the grid. Let’s see what they do.
1997- The season ends with you once again holding both the Constructor’s Championship and the Driver’s Championship completing the double in back to back years. Your knight in shining armor, Jacques Villeneuve, won seven races and ten pole positions. The future is bright.
1998- Turns out the sun got in your eyes as Renault decided to rip the horse out from under your knight’s legs and get the fuck out of Formula One racing. You have Mecachrome copy and paste the Renault engine in preparation for the upcoming season. The engine was decent but not good enough as you concede both your titles to McLaren. You have to settle for 3rd. I’m sure you’ll work out the kinks.
1999 (Beginning of Season)- When one tacky 90’s era name doesn’t work try another. Mecachrome would rebrand to Supertec in preparation for the upcoming season. The result: dropping two spots in the Constructor’s Championship. Oh and Villeneuve? He fucked off to British American Racing. I bet he didn’t even say sorry before leaving. But don’t worry, you have Schumacher! Nothing can stop you now!
1999 (End of Season)- Oh you thought you were getting Michael Schumacher? No, no, no, no you got his bargain bin brother, RALF Schumacher. You finish in 5th, could be worse.
2000 (Start of Season)- The new millennium arrives and with it new resolutions. “Screw those outdated bums at Supertec, they’re holding us back. BMW will propel us to victory!”
2000 (End of Season)- Ok so maybe victory was a stretch, but hey! Store brand Schumacher got you three podiums and back to 3rd place. More championships are in sight!
2001 (Start of Season)- Yes! This is definitely the year! Look at your new prize stallion, Williams: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA! *royal news trumpet sound effect*
2001 (Australian Grand Prix)- Turns out your stallion got a leg infection and crashed in the first corner of the first race. Rather than mercifully putting him down you continue to let him race until his engine fails, he did get up as high as 5th though, not too shabby I guess.
2001 (End of Season)- What
... keep reading on reddit ➡Well, well, well. I should be writing about Max Verstappen - or Formula 1's Consistently Overhyped Lolcow - given how much of a shitshow his performance in the last few races is, but it would be far too easy. Instead, I decided to tell a cautionary tale on how not to run a successful racing team in the 21th century in Williams's Legacy of Failure. And some of this sub's regulars, who have some knowledge about Formula One, may ask why the fuck I'm making a Legacy of Failure about one of the most successful F1 teams in history, with more than 100 wins and 9 driver championships, and enjoying one of the greatest dynasties in history of the sport. The thing is - all of those things were won in 20th century. The ridiculous decisions of the teams namesake and dictator, Frank Williams and his terribly incompetent daughter Claire made the team from an empire comparable to the Oliers in the 80's into a lolcow struggling to keep itself above the surface of financial downfall. The ways of management perpetuated by the Williams family might have worked in the ages of endless money and resources flooding the sport in the 80's and 90's, but not in the 21st century. And yet, somebody forgotten to tell this to Williams, who still pits drivers against each other like it's 1980, and keeps on hiring the most terrifyingly mediocre of youth drivers. Enter, the Legacy of Failure..... . .
1977 - After getting fleeced by two of his previous F1 business partners, including an rockstar oil magnate Walter Wolf, Frank Williams, a young engineer from England decides to try his luck in another racing endeavour, establishing the Williams Grand Prix Engineering in a small backwater town in England called Didcot. With assistance from another of England best-and-brightest, an engineer called Patrick Head he makes another run in F1 with a single car - outsourced March chassis, reliable, but quickly getting outdated Cosworth DFV naturally aspirated V8, and a driver whose name says nothing to all but the most dedicated F1 nerds. Another typical 70's British garagista story. Results? 11 races, no points, and a 7th place best finish in Spain. Not much, but F1 seen worse debuts, so what's the fuss about? You'll see in a few seasons....
1978 - Still one car, still DFV, but this time it's an self-constructed one. The most important event was hiring the guy, who is going to give the team it's big break - burly Australian Alan Jones. And team's first points and a first podium. 12th place in th
... keep reading on reddit ➡
SLIMY STEFANO has tried to sabotage WONDERFUL WILLIAMS once again. Even our esteemed VPOGR LIGHTNING-FAST LATIFI has become a target of the maFIA in collaboration with MALICIOUS MERCEDES. Despicable.
THIS STEAL CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO GO ON. #CancelZandvoort #MWGA
Mark Webber did get on the podium for Williams but all wins since AJ were followed by the Austrian anthem. 40 years!
9th and 10th for that race, 8th and 9th in this one.
Well done to Russell and Latifi.
