Formula One is mourning a unique and irreplaceable figure who earned his place among the all-time greats of the sport
Formula One will endure but it will surely never see the like of Sir Frank Williams again. Williams forged a racing legend, a team like no other, and did so against the odds. Single-minded, determined and on occasion ruthless, Williams bent F1 and life to his will, overcoming the greatest challenges, enjoying huge success and tragic loss, professional and personal. His death is marked by great sadness across the sport because for so many Williams embodied the very spirit of racing.
The tributes paid after Williams’ death, aged 79, on Sunday recognised with fondness and respect one of the most successful figures in F1 and one of most remarkable. The team he built from a warehouse in Didcot went on to win nine constructors’ and seven drivers’ titles. Only Ferrari have won more constructors’ titles and only Ferrari and McLaren have entered more races. Williams’ warehouse garagistas fashioned a place in the pantheon of the sport.
