Every success WilliamsF1 achieve is a testament to the spirit of the garagistas. WilliamsF1 is a racing team amongst corporate giants. Sportsmen fighting against businessmen. David versus Goliath. They are you and me. They are the heart and soul of what F1 should be.

A decade ago WilliamsF1 peaked with a string of nearly uninterrupted championships. Since then, success has been fleeting but with a quiet dignity, the team has soldiered on. Today, surrounded on the grid by the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, WilliamsF1 is the last of their breed - garagistas. Pure racers. Simply, WilliamsF1 exists, not to sell more Honda Civics or BMW M3’s but to win races and championships. Period.

Where a team like Honda or Toyota can simply quit F1 if they become disenchanted with not winning, WilliamsF1’s existence remains tied to sustainable success on the track. That ethos demands a level of commitment that few in the paddock demonstrate.

How much commitment does Renault’s Flavio Briatore have to ‘his’ team’s survival? Some, but it’s not his team - he’s an employee with a salary and benefits. Frank Williams is a team owner. To demonstrate the difference, consider this: Frank Williams sold his private jet last year to fund a second, state of the art wind tunnel. As a quadriplegic, Frank benefited more than most would from the use of a private jet to get back and forth to races. It was more than a luxury but it was also a means to an end.

How many ‘employees’ would do that for an employer? For that matter, how many owners would do that for their teams? Eddie Jordan, owner of Jordan Racing, sold his team when they were in financial trouble. Selling the private yacht and other toys was not an option for Eddie.

That new wind tunnel was built to make the race cars go faster, end of story. Was it worth it? Well, the team have put what might be their best designed car in years on the track. Certainly in winter testing, it has been consistently fast during every test. The question is, can Frank’s team humble the corporate juggernauts like Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and arch rival BMW?

I think they already have - just by continuing to exist and thrive as racers.

The heart of F1 is no longer Italian red, it is blue - the midnight blue of the new WilliamsF1 team colors. Incidentally, the team launched their new livery today - see below.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!