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6 Jan 2021, 20:03 (Ref:4027275) | #1826 | |
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Call me a cynic if you wish but I do wonder whether there might be a few clauses about freeing up a promising driver if the providers of the gearbox should find themselves in need of one in the near future.Say three months time....
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6 Jan 2021, 20:12 (Ref:4027279) | #1827 | ||
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You're saying it, as if Mercedes aren't happy with one of their drivers.
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6 Jan 2021, 20:51 (Ref:4027285) | #1828 | ||
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Or, as Williams has new ownership they are changing their mind about whether to dogmatically stick to making their own when there is a cheaper and better solution.
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6 Jan 2021, 22:45 (Ref:4027308) | #1829 | |
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7 Jan 2021, 02:00 (Ref:4027327) | #1830 | |
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I suspect the real reason for the family exiting the team was to tidy up their financial and business affairs due to Frank's poor health and the issues his passing would present if they still held the F1 team. I could be wrong but that seems a reasonable assumption to me.
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7 Jan 2021, 02:05 (Ref:4027328) | #1831 | |
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With the coming contraction of team personnel due to the new funding restrictions I see this as a first step in that process. From all reports the team has a huge number of employees for very little result on the grid.
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7 Jan 2021, 19:37 (Ref:4027508) | #1832 | ||
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Quote:
The Williams Formula Two chassis: I think their gearbox division should have retooled from F1, to instead compete with the likes of Hewland, Sadev, X-Trac and so on in the customer motorsport space years ago... |
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7 Jan 2021, 19:46 (Ref:4027510) | #1833 | ||
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Quote:
I think that would have been a great strategy years ago. It would have diversified the business (at least beyond just one series). But they focused purely on F1. What does the new owners want to do? My guess, the same. Focus on just F1. Quote:
Richard |
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7 Jan 2021, 21:28 (Ref:4027530) | #1834 | ||
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Quote:
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8 Jan 2021, 19:36 (Ref:4027721) | #1835 | |
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Nice idea but where is there any opportunity to deviate from spec car single seater racing?LMP2 only has four approved constructors and the other GT categories use road cars with a bit of development.On the other hand ,there are probably more people employed in Formula 1 alone than were ever employed in the days of freedom in other categories.To give an idea of how limited it is,I read a recent overview of Dallara-for some time the racing car constructor with the largest build capacity and several exclusive series to build for.They have a capacity of 200 cars per year.I don't know quite how this compares with the combined output of Ralt,Martini,Teynard,Tatuus,March,van Dieman,Swift,Eagle and Lola in bygone times. |
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9 Jan 2021, 08:09 (Ref:4027795) | #1836 | ||
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Van Diemen probably made more cars than people imagine as they sold into the US for their FF2000 series, a lot of the regional country FF series and were often the race school car of choice. Tatus were big in the F Renault days as the spec chassis I recall. Probably a nearer answer is in your question, as the main feeder series have largely become single car maker and largely Dallara, the 200 cars per year is probably the equivalent to perhaps what Lola and Tatus combined would have built? An interesting website on the history of f3 manufacturers below. http://www.f3history.co.uk/Manufactu...rd/reynard.htm |
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9 Jan 2021, 08:49 (Ref:4027799) | #1837 | |
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Dallara is massive but these days don’t build as many chassis as you might think, as they don’t do that many series any more and most cars do several seasons. Really, it’s a spares business which is where the money is.
Tatuus probably make far more cars as they do most F4 series, most regional F3 series and W series etc. But, again, there’s little money in selling cars - the money is in the spares. Not sure the Williams JP F2 would inspire them. It was a shockingly badly-designed product that could hardly be driven the first time it ran. It took a lot of work, over several years, to make it the fairly poor end product it eventually was. Showed them that it wasn’t anywhere as easy as they thought! |
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9 Jan 2021, 12:22 (Ref:4027829) | #1838 | |||
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9 Jan 2021, 20:42 (Ref:4027882) | #1839 | ||
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Is that what they put the Ford/Jaguar V6 in?
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9 Jan 2021, 20:56 (Ref:4027884) | #1840 | |
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9 Jan 2021, 20:57 (Ref:4027885) | #1841 | ||
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9 Jan 2021, 21:03 (Ref:4027886) | #1842 | |
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9 Jan 2021, 21:05 (Ref:4027887) | #1843 | |
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14 Jan 2021, 02:31 (Ref:4028870) | #1844 | |||
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14 Jan 2021, 08:52 (Ref:4028904) | #1845 | |
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Interesting piece on Claire Williams and the sale of Williams.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/claire...ancial-stress/ Williams said two elements were behind the decision. “The first was saving the team,” she said. “When I say saving the team, I mean ensuring people had the security of their job, that the team existed or survived for their benefit.” The second reason was personal. “I wanted to make sure my dad came out of it with money to show for his work – not that he would have cared,” she said. “My dad’s never taken a penny out of the team over the years. I wanted to ensure he had something to show for his legacy. |
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14 Jan 2021, 09:01 (Ref:4028906) | #1846 | |
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14 Jan 2021, 13:35 (Ref:4028974) | #1847 | |||
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14 Jan 2021, 15:04 (Ref:4028999) | #1848 | ||
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Obviously money to live.
Whatever, I believe the sentiment that Frank’s priority was more for the team than his personal bank account is correct. Claire’s priority seems to be more to look after her family. Fair enough too. And we get to judge this and pick at what they say on the internet. We’re all maximizing our priorities. Everyone wins. |
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14 Jan 2021, 15:29 (Ref:4029012) | #1849 | |
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I don’t object to someone taking money out a business they founded and ran. Obviously they need funds to pay for their life.
But to deny it seems a bit silly and childish. |
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14 Jan 2021, 15:47 (Ref:4029021) | #1850 | ||
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for me as an outsider watching the sport for decades, i havent seen anything to suggest that SFW took more from F1 then he contributed to it.
personally i wish there were more SFW's in the sport. |
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