10/10 Series: Humility - Frank Williams

In 1977, Formula One’s third most successful team came to be. Formed by team boss, Frank Williams, and engineer, Patrick Head, Williams Grand Prix Engineering was born. 18 championship and 114 race wins later, a legacy that involves greats such as Prost, Senna, and Mansell will continue forever. Frank Williams and his team are simply a cornerstone of Formula One. Be that as it may, 1977 wasn’t where Williams’ involvement in Formula One began.  

Years earlier in 1969, Frank bought a chassis and raced it with his driver, Piers Courage. Courage had driven for ‘Frank Williams Racing Cars’ in Formula Two and Three previously. Success was almost immediate with a second-place finish in just the second outing. This was one of two podiums in Frank’s first F1 season, an achievement practically impossible today. Naturally, this created ripples throughout the sport as the establishment ridiculed the new kid on the block. This scrutiny was just one of the many tests that were to come.

Frank Williams’ life has been characterised by a series of challenges being created by his desire to race. Such challenges were undoubtedly overcome for the same reason - Frank is a racer. In racing, the highs and lows may come thick and fast, but the victories make every setback worth overcoming.

Shaken by the death of Piers Courage at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix, there was still no option for Frank, he needed to carry on racing. It was what he did. Despite this spirit, financial trouble would cruelly greet Williams and his team a few years later. These woes eventually led to the takeover of his team by Canadian, Walter Wolf. Williams’ future in Formula One? All but written off. After all, he was just another flash in the pan.

Patrick Head, Frank Williams’ chief engineer and right-hand man over the years, has spoken of Frank’s remarkable resilience and ability to find the best of any situation thrown his way. While many might have walked away and put his short-lived F1 journey down as experience, Frank used what he had learned to start a new team - a team that began life in an old carpet factory, a team that took the Williams name to the top of Formula One, a team that still races to this day. 

Just three years following Williams’ 1977 F1 arrival, remarkably, they were champions. Alan Jones took the title, meaning that, once again, Frank achieved the impossible, but how did he manage it? When asked about Frank Williams, Alan Jones gave a typically straightforward perspective, suggesting that Frank’s motivation is such that he could convince you to walk on glass. The focus on striving to achieve better was seemingly infectious for the people around Frank. That gave them an incentive. In having their feet well and truly grounded, the Williams team has removed any sense of entitlement and used this encouragement to take action and seek victory. 

I have spoken about leadership in sport and the ability to energise a team is critical for the very best leaders. Instilling humility within the Williams team has led to each individual taking ownership to work for the best of the team. The result has been intra-team politics being a rare problem for Frank and Claire Williams over the years. This harmonious nature is particularly evident when Williams are compared to their rivals, who have had numerous moments of tension. What is more, those in F1’s current best team, Mercedes, openly admire Frank and the Williams philosophy. Arguably, the Silver Arrows have gone further and adopted this style of leadership to become even more potent in their post-Nico Rosberg era. 

Frank Williams has led the way in creating a down-to-earth, hungry and, therefore, innovative team culture. This way of competing has not just won Williams titles but arguably Mercedes F1 Team and Liverpool Football Club in recent time too - more on that in my podcast. This winning environment is one that team members are willing to work in, with some of F1’s legends having queued up to drive for Williams. 

Does being an independent team have its downsides? Yes. There is no regular money coming in, and wins are few and far between. But would becoming a B team be better? Of course not. Last time a B team won was Alpha Tauri, a few races ago - which doesn’t help my argument. But the Italian outfit had not won since 2008, on a wet day, when they had a better engine than Red Bull. The point is that Frank and Williams, as a whole, are racers. And they race to win, even if it is an uphill battle. To be a champion, you need to do something different to your competitors. That is why Frank Williams is a champion.

Iconic Moment: Frank the Fighter

As has been elaborated upon, Williams’ mentality removes complacency. A lack of comfort encourages the whole team to work in unison towards the goals of constant innovation and overcoming challenges. Frank Williams and his team have faced their fair share of challenges over the years. However, one moment stands apart as their most significant test.

Fatality in Formula One has been a more common occurrence than anyone would wish. Bygone eras would see a driver competing for five years having a 20% chance of dying. Speed kills. Even today the ticket for anyone at the circuit reads “motorsport is dangerous”. In 1986, Williams were on the verge of losing a team member. It wasn’t a driver on the track though - it was their leader. The doctors contemplated turning off Frank Williams’ life support, but he wasn’t going to go out like that. 

Battling a spinal fracture, Frank would need a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Had he not had the strength to come back, championships in 1986, 1987 and beyond may not have been possible. Some may have felt sorry for themselves but not Frank. He knew that he needed to carry on leading. Not for him, for his team. After all, Frank is a racer - victories make every setback worth overcoming.

Remaining humble means that Williams are not a B Team, arguably keeping the soul of the team present. Independence keeps the team motivated to win in the right way; this is something that Toto and Lewis admire Williams for and have used to their advantage in recent years. In essence, the team exists to race. Commercial factors come later.

Williams rests on the foundations of sportsmanship and humility. These qualities have been lived and breathed by the team through victory and defeat. As the 2020 season comes to a close, team members have come and gone, but the same values live on. Some may feel that the Williams family’s desire to continue running the team limited its pursuit of accomplishment. However, Williams’ fundamental values are what makes them champions. Hopefully, their new owners, Dorilton Capital (who bought the team in September), will Maia gain this culture, bringing Williams similar success in the future.

I really enjoyed researching the Williams team. It confirmed to me their legendary status in the sport. Thank you to Frank, Claire and the Williams family for your incredible tale that still continues today.