Williams F1 and the Darkening Future

33 seasons contested, 555 Grand Prix, 126 pole positions, 113 victories, 9 Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championship titles and… a disastrous start to the 2011 championship! What are the reasons for such a situation, and what future can the British team envision?

Indeed, after the Australian, Malaysian, and Chinese Grand Prix, the team based in Grove, Great Britain, still has a score of zero before starting the European F1 season. Despite the efforts of veteran Rubens Barrichello and rookie Pastor Maldonado, the team is currently stuck at the bottom of the standings, alongside Team Lotus, Marussia Virgin, and other HRT…

The Team Lotus of Tony Fernandes would almost display better form than that of Franck Williams!

Many observers are questioning the survival of the English team in Formula 1. And the Williams stock price at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is not going to reassure them: after several weeks, the share has lost almost a third of its value… and continues to fall further and further.

One of the underlying causes may lie in the old-fashioned management of the team, with Franck Williams and Patrick Head always at the helm. However, the latter has started to step back more and more and sell his shares in the team, which is a strong signal of change. Furthermore, Toto Wolff, who owns 10% of Williams, could in the near future take on a larger role in directing the English team.

On another note, the team’s President Adam Parr announced that the team’s internal organization would soon be modified: “We will correct the short term but will also strengthen the team for 2012 and beyond. (…) Everything will be reviewed methodically.” The British also deemed the start of the 2011 season unacceptable, stating that this failure is primarily the responsibility of the engineering group, concluding that “we (the team, ed.) will respond accordingly.”

Does this mean heads will roll? Without a doubt, and it could start with Jon Tomlinson, the team’s chief aerodynamicist, despite holding a contract until the end of 2011…

But then, are there still reasons to be optimistic about the team? A team that hasn’t won a Grand Prix since 2004 in Brazil with Juan Pablo Montoya…

Of course, Williams has shown a resurgence in recent years, steadily improving and climbing up the constructors’ hierarchy season after season: 8th in 2008, 7th in 2009, 6th in 2010… This observation might suggest that the difficult period the team is currently experiencing is perhaps just a temporary downturn…

Furthermore, the very decent tests conducted by the team during the winter trials are an interesting indication of the car’s foundation, which may not be so bad and, with judicious technical improvements, might eventually create a surprise during the season. At least that’s what the team announces for the Turkish Grand Prix: a modified underbody and for the Spanish Grand Prix, completely revised and corrected exhausts. It will take at least that to aim for the Top 10 in races and qualifications.

Finally, it is possible to imagine that the new regulations concerning engines from 2013 will open up new perspectives for Williams: why not a partnership with a major manufacturer, like in the heyday of the Williams-Renault, which won multiple world championships? We also know that Renault is looking to power a fourth team in the future…

But this concerns the future, and Williams would need to hold on until then.