Frank Williams Interview

By Andrew Hooper
January 6 2004

	Frank Williams Interview
	Frank Williams, head of the WilliamsF1 Team was interviewed for the launch of the new FW26. Question: WilliamsF1 narrowly missed out on their 10th Constructors’ Championship last year. Despite this, the team seemed to have made huge amounts of progress despite a disappointing start to the year. Do you therefore feel that your chances of securing both Championships next year are promising? Frank Williams: The FW25 didn’t appear to be a Championship-winning car at the start of the season but the team worked exceptionally hard to develop it into a title challenger. Unfortunately we didn’t claim a tenth title with it, but we made enough progress to close the gap to Ferrari. Development of the FW26 started in March of last year, so we will hopefully go into this season with a competitive car from the outset. Question: You extended your contract with engine supplier BMW for a further five years last season. That must provide you with considerable confidence? Williams: BMW is a truly dedicated engine partner and this provides a considerable advantage. The contract we signed in June last year reinforces the existing agreement but also takes it to greater levels of integration. BMW brings a substantial pool of resource to the partnership, which combines well with our specialist technical knowledge; I’m confident that the agreement will continue to yield significant dividends. Question: In recent months, there has been a sizeable amount of press highlighting the scarceness of sponsorship opportunities available in the present economic climate. WilliamsF1, however, secured a number of lucrative partnerships last year. Can you explain that? Williams: In my opinion, there are always opportunities to exploit, you just have to look for them and, with Formula One increasing its presence in Asia, a whole new market of potential commercial opportunity is opening up. However, in any business these days, one has to adapt to changing economic contexts. The commercial team at WilliamsF1 therefore maintains a flexible approach to new business by ensuring we offer a competitive package for a potential partner’s sponsorship spend. Question: The team has now secured an impressive number of accolades including nine Constructors’ and seven Drivers’ Championships, as well as 112 race wins and accumulated a total of 2336.5 points since its inception. What, therefore, are your aspirations for the forthcoming season when you’ve already achieved so much? Williams: Six years have passed since we last won a Championship title and that hurts! However, I love the anticipation that comes with each new season. Neither Patrick nor myself have ever been one of those people that live in the past. Each day brings new challenges and, for me, those challenges are whether our car crosses the finish line in front of everyone else’s. So that is my ambition for the forthcoming season, to win every race, steal Ferrari’s crown and add another Championship title to the record.