Lets talk about Patrick Head...

Sodemo · 13 Oct 2003, 18:34 (Ref:750039)

I see there are a lot of threads about drivers, but none about team personel.

There is one guy, a straight talking (hard) bloke, who I respect as a guy who tells it how it is, Patrick Head.

Does anyone know where / how he started with Williams, what did he do before Williams?
Any good stories?

:confused:

**Adam43** · 13 Oct 2003, 19:11 (Ref:750083)

Here is a pretty decent summary: http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-heapat.html

Allround top bloke. Amongst friends and family I am constantly reminded of a time when I anoounced "Patrick Head knows nothing about F1" (in reference to Damon being sacked!). Of course I was wrong.

He regularly sums up what the situation is at the time. Oh and he loves racing.

Led ZeppF1 · 13 Oct 2003, 19:14 (Ref:750087)

Here is for starter :

http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-heapat.html
http://www.neilthompson.co.uk/iec5qz...l=Patrick+Head

Led ZeppF1 · 13 Oct 2003, 19:15 (Ref:750089)

Ooops, Adam has posted...

**ghinzani** · 13 Oct 2003, 19:16 (Ref:750091)

His first design of any note IIRC was the Scott F2 car and the Delta Formula 4.

paddywic · 13 Oct 2003, 19:22 (Ref:750099)

I often feel, when patrick head has a Mic shoved in front of him, He's going to bite it off. I see him tearing the sponge top off the mic and shaking his head furiously before spitting it out, then say, "as I was saying..."

**Adam43** · 13 Oct 2003, 19:23 (Ref:750101)

Roebuck is a fan of the straight talk Patrick Head and has many good stories.

From one Ask Nigel (20th June 2001)

Quote:

After studying engineering at University College, London, Head worked for several companies involved in racing, including Lola, and first met Williams in November 1975.

Frank was interviewing him for the job of Chief Engineer of his struggling F1 team. "Are you prepared," Frank said, "to work 10 or 12 hours a day, seven days a week?" Patrick thought about it. "No, I'm not," he replied, "because anybody who has to do that is extremely badly organised..."

Monster, see your PMs.

krt917 · 13 Oct 2003, 20:26 (Ref:750170)

I must admit that I like Patrick Head. I'm not sure he and Frank always know how to get the best out of their drivers, but they are real racers. He was none too impressed by Ferrari's complaints about the Michelin tyres either; he looked quite frightening in the press conference!

Mr V · 13 Oct 2003, 23:17 (Ref:750318)

If any of you want a laugh, read this months F1Racing magazine. They recite the Thursday press conference (or parts of it anyway) when Patrick Head, Ron Dennis, Flavor Flav and Ross Brawn were all put in the same room after the Michelin affair.

Patrick let Ross have it both barrels

RWC · 13 Oct 2003, 23:27 (Ref:750322)

Definitely my favorite f1 person.
Furiously determined.HONEST and does it all for the love of the sport

Sodemo · 13 Oct 2003, 23:59 (Ref:750352)

Quote:

Originally posted by paddywic
I often feel, when patrick head has a Mic shoved in front of him, He's going to bite it off. I see him tearing the sponge top off the mic and shaking his head furiously before spitting it out, then say, "as I was saying..."

Yes! he does have that kind of rabid "rotwieller" aura...

Very funny by the way.

Inigo Montoya · 14 Oct 2003, 19:28 (Ref:751288)

From http://espn.go.com/rpm/f1/2003/1010/1635465.html
One of my favourites, talking about Jacques:

In 1997," Head said, "I think he had really a reasonably better car than Michael (Schumacher's Ferrari). In my view he made it unnecessarily hard to win the championship (in 1997), and certainly if I had said to Jacques 'I think you are running a little bit too stiff, I think you should look at softening the car up a bit,' Jacques would look over at (his engineer) Jock (Clear) and say 'I want to go stiffer tomorrow.' It was perverseness, really. He is quite a perverse fellow, and his attitude is 'I'll show you I can do it my way.'

**Adam43** · 14 Oct 2003, 19:42 (Ref:751307)

12 posts before it got to JV, that must be some sort of record. Well done for resisitng the temptation for so long

Lets talk about Patrick Head...

Inigo Montoya · 14 Oct 2003, 19:46 (Ref:751311)

Ummm. That is a quote from Head. Guess the rule is to no longer post anything that contains the word 'Jacques'? Then forgive me

**Adam43** · 14 Oct 2003, 19:48 (Ref:751315)

On Patrick Head's opinion of drivers, it is often said that Head's favourite time was when Alan Jones was driving for them. All lads together.

**Adam43** · 14 Oct 2003, 19:50 (Ref:751319)

Quote:

Originally posted by Inigo Montoya
Ummm. That is a quote from Head. Guess the rule is to no longer post anything that contains the word 'Jacques'? Then forgive me

Well it isn't but we have considered it

However was your point to show Head could tell a story, or was it about Jacques

**Bononi** · 14 Oct 2003, 19:53 (Ref:751321)

It was not my idea !

Knowlesy · 14 Oct 2003, 19:54 (Ref:751323)

Never mind Inigo. I liked the quote. You beat me to putting it in the thread.

**Adam43** · 14 Oct 2003, 20:00 (Ref:751328)

I liked it too BTW. Only as little joke

Anyway. Who do you think has been Patrick's favourite driver? Both for his team and in general. My guess is Jones for the first. My guess for the second is that he has lots!

kartingdad · 14 Oct 2003, 20:00 (Ref:751330)

If I remember correctly, he used to rally a Metro 6r4 with some success before he went a bit weird and bought a football club

Knowlesy · 14 Oct 2003, 20:01 (Ref:751331)

Jones and Mansell. He liked Patrese a great deal too.

**Bononi** · 14 Oct 2003, 20:05 (Ref:751335)

All I can say about Patrick Head is, that he loves Brazil. He's married to a brazilian.

Really can't blame him.

Inigo Montoya · 14 Oct 2003, 20:05 (Ref:751336)

Quote:

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
Well it isn't but we have considered it However was your point to show Head could tell a story, or was it about Jacques

A bit of both, to be perfectly honest. I also respect Patrick Head (more than Ron Dennis certainly), and I just love the way he says things. This, to me, summed up nicely why TCF (that canadian fellow, just in case the autocensor has been reprogrammed) has had a tough time of it lately.

**Adam43** · 14 Oct 2003, 20:08 (Ref:751341)

Quote:

Originally posted by knowlesy
Jones and Mansell. He liked Patrese a great deal too.

I'm sure he loved what Nige did with the Williams F1 cars, but did he like all the hassle he got with it? How when Nigel won it was because of Nigel and when he lost it was because of the car?

Knowlesy · 14 Oct 2003, 20:08 (Ref:751343)

Patrick is always fascinating to listen to. If they brought out an audio CD with him telling stories I'd buy it. Sad but most definitely true!

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