The 79-year-old Sir Frank Williams has died on Sunday, 28 November. The Briton, who was known for co-founding Williams Grand Prix Engineering (now known as Williams Racing), served as principal of the Formula 1 team for 43 years up until in 2019, making him the longest-serving team principal in the sport’s 71-year history.
For those new to F1, you might not know it by their performance in recent years, but Williams was a top team in their day, winning a total of 114 races, 9 Constructors’ Championships, and 7 Drivers’ Championships to date. They’ve also claimed 128 pole positions, 133 fastest laps, and 3,578 points, and it was all a result of Sir Frank’s decision to start the team back in 1977.
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A statement from Williams regarding Sir Frank’s death read: “It is with great sadness that on behalf of the Williams family, the team can confirm the death of Sir Frank Williams CBE, Founder and Former Team Principal of Williams Racing, at the age of 79.
“After being admitted into hospital on Friday, Sir Frank, passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his family. We pay tribute today to this inspirational and loved figurehead. Frank will be deeply missed. We request that all friends and colleagues respect the Williams family’s wishes for privacy at this time.”
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Jost Capito, current CEO and team principal of Williams, said: “The Williams Racing team is truly saddened by the passing of our founder Sir Frank Williams. Sir Frank Williams was an icon and legend of Formula 1. The end of an era in Formula 1 is marked by his passing. He was a pioneer and one-of-a kind. He overcame a lot of hardship in his personal life to lead our team to the 16 World Championships. This made us one of most successful sports teams ever.
“His values including integrity, teamwork and a fierce independence and determination, remain the core ethos of our team and are his legacy, as is the Williams family name under which we proudly race. Our thoughts are with the Williams family at this difficult time.”
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