Legendary F1 team boss Sir Frank Williams dies aged 79 – Motorsport. com

A short statement from the Williams group said  he had  been admitted in order to hospital on Friday and passed away peacefully on Sunday morning surrounded by his family.

The Williams team earned 114 F1 victories, along with seven drivers’ titles and nine constructors’ crowns, to become one of the particular best-known teams on the grid.

Frank Williams had originally founded Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977, having previously run cars  in Formula 2 plus Formula 3. He elected to commit to his own F1 squad after a tie-up with Canadian oil magnate Walter Wolf did not turn out as this individual had hoped.

Forming the close alliance with long-serving technical chief Patrick Head, Williams’ steely determination came to the fore as he or she helped turn the team in to F1 winners within a couple of years.

Williams saw Clay Regazzoni claim a maiden victory for the group in the 1979 British Grand Prix, with its first F1 drivers’ and constructors’ championship double coming a year later when Alan Jones ended the season on top.

The particular Williams team would go on to win championships with Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

Despite the particular success upon the track, Williams faced his own personal challenges off it after being confined in order to a wheelchair since a car accident near the Paul Ricard circuit within France in 1986.

But he never let their disability affect his focus on doing everything to make his squad as successful as possible, as he plus his group proved central to F1 through the particular booms years of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Williams also endured tragedy himself within 1994 when Ayrton Senna was killed driving for the team at the San Marino Grand Tarifs. Since that day, every Williams car has carried the logo of the particular late Brazilian driver.

After stepping down from the Williams board of directors in 2012, Williams handed over many responsibilities to his daughter Claire who became deputy team principal.

Yet amid escalating costs of being involved in F1, and competitive difficulties, the Williams family sold the group to Dorilton Capital within September 2020.

While the team operated under new owners, it vowed to keep the famous moniker that has become so well known in F1 circles.

A declaration from the team on Weekend said: “Sir Frank was a true legend plus icon of our sport. His passing truly marks the end of an era with regard to our group and regarding the sport associated with F1.

“He was 1 of the kind and a true pioneer. Despite considerable adversity in his life, he led out team to 16 world championships, making us one of the most successful groups in the particular history of the sport.

“His values including integrity, teamwork and a fierce independence and determination, remain the particular core ethos in our team and are their legacy, as is the Williams family name below which we proudly race. ”

The Williams group asked that will donations are made in place of gifts to the particular Spinal Injuries Association, and that flowers be placed at the entrance in order to the factory in Grove.

Details of a memorial service will follow within due course.