2014 - F1

Steve · Nov 27, 2014

Aim high!

Williams: Next year is about taking the fight to Mercedes (grandprix247.com)

27 November, 2014

Williams are back among Formula Oneâ€™s top trio of teams but deputy principal Claire Williams does not hesitate when asked whether she senses a return to the Williams of old.

â€œNo, it feels like a new Williams,â€ the daughter of founder Frank told Reuters at the end of a season that saw the former champions finishing third overall in their best performance since 2003.

â€œItâ€™s not that I donâ€™t love the old Williamsâ€¦ But I think for a number of years weâ€™ve been kind of static, kind of held down and the brand not really knowing where it was, the team not really knowing where it was going.â€

Last year, Williams scored just five points and finished ninth overall. The once-dominant team, winners of nine constructorsâ€™ and seven driversâ€™ championships between 1980 and 1997, also scored only five points in 2011 and had not finished higher than sixth overall in the last six years.

So far was the fall from grace that some had begun wondering whether Williams might be headed the same way as now-defunct ex-champions Tyrrell.

This season has highlighted the importance of the switch from Renault to dominant Mercedes engines but the marked improvement in performance comes down to much more than just bolting a different power unit into the back of the car.

The arrival of technical head Pat Symonds, who won championships with Benetton and Renault, as chief technical officer in July 2013 was one key moment as were the signings this year of engineers Jakob Andreasen and Rob Smedley from Force India and Ferrari.

The arrival of title sponsors Martini has also freshened up the image, Williams explained, â€œI think thatâ€™s played a real part mentally and culturally for a lot of people at Williams and that this is a new, bright fresh future for the team. Itâ€™s about a new generation and taking it to recreate the glory days, but in a different way.â€

â€œThatâ€™s really exciting for me. I donâ€™t think weâ€™ve heard one conversation about this may be a fluke for Williams. Itâ€™s a new path, a new start.â€

Williams signed off in Abu Dhabi with Brazilian Felipe Massa and Finlandâ€™s Valtteri Bottas second and third to Mercedesâ€™ race winner and champion Lewis Hamilton. Massa had led the race during pitstops and looked threatening throughout.

It would not have come as a massive surprise, in a season that saw Massa on pole in Austria and the team take nine podium placings, if the former Ferrari driver had gone on to win and that has to be the ambition for 2015.

â€œItâ€™s the next step thatâ€™s going to be the hardest piece of work,â€ recognised Williams. â€œNext year itâ€™s got to be making that step up and closing the gap to Mercedesâ€¦ winning races and taking the fight to them.â€

â€œItâ€™s down to us to challenge them and to take victories away from them. And thatâ€™s really what we want to do. And not to do it flukily, but because weâ€™ve got the competitive advantage.â€

Williams, whose tetraplegic father has been in hospital in England for the past month for treatment to a pressure sore, said the success on the track was also being reflected in sponsor interest.

â€œIt really is picking up. People want to be a part of it,â€ she said. â€œWeâ€™ve got lots of really positive conversations going on in the pipeline. Success breeds success, doesnâ€™t it?â€

Some of those brands, she said, were more youth-oriented than in the past and that too was a testament to how Willims had re-positioned themselves, â€œItâ€™s not just a team that had great success in the 90s but a team with a future.â€ (Reuters)
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goaljnky · Nov 27, 2014

In the latest news, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has signed former Spice Girl Jeri Halliwell:

And some of her past work:

Sorry, but I do have a thing for redheads. Halliwell, not Horner.

mrntd · Nov 28, 2014

Wounder how long her contract is for.

MCS02 · Nov 28, 2014

No pun intended :lol:

Angib · Nov 29, 2014

Actually, the women's news in Formula 1 is that Susie Wolff is having her test driver role at Williams expanded next year with regular Friday practice drives. She did practice at Hockenheim this year, getting within 0.2 seconds of Massa.

And if this Scottish woman's surname seems familiar, she is married to Toto Wolff of Mercedes which must make for some difficult conversations at home.

minirab · Nov 29, 2014

Angib said: ↑

Actually, the women's news in Formula 1 is that Susie Wolff is having her test driver role at Williams expanded next year with regular Friday practice drives. She did practice at Hockenheim this year, getting within 0.2 seconds of Massa.

And if this Scottish woman's surname seems familiar, she is married to Toto Wolff of Mercedes which must make for some difficult conversations at home.
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Like what do you say after the orange juice!

Steve · Nov 29, 2014

I suppose the awkward conversations may have been slightly less awkward when they both worked for Williams.

Steve · Nov 30, 2014

Mark Webber had a BIG incident today in Brazil. Here's his car before any of the emergency crew arrived.

No real word yet on how it happened and you can't tell how it started from the video (below).

Mark Webber hospitalized after crash at Interlagos (VIDEO) (foxsports.com)

Nov 30, 2014

Mark Webber will spend the night in a local hospital for further evaluation following his heavy crash in the closing minutes of Sundayâ€™s FIA WEC Six Hours of Sao Paulo.

The Australianâ€™s Porsche 919 Hybrid slammed into the wall with 28 minutes remaining in the season-ending race after a suspected failure of some kind to the LMP1-H contender.

According to a Porsche spokesperson, Webber was initially reported to be OK, although he has since been transferred to a local hospital for additional precautionary checks.

He was awake and alert and was deemed to be in satisfactory condition by the FIA doctor on site.

â€œMark Webber is in good condition, according to the first information from the doctors,â€ said Porsche LMP1 boss Fritz Enzinger.

The cause of the accident has yet to be determined.

Matteo Cressoni, the other driver involved in the accident, has also been admitted to the hospital on precautionary grounds and will be spending the night as well, according to his post on Twitter.
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[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wam9HOnqtVE"]WEC 6 Hours Of Sao Paulo 2014 Webber Huge Crash - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Dec 1, 2014

Hard hit, looked like the driver cell held together well. Cant' figure out how the Ferrari plays into this shunt. Glad to hear both are OK. :fingerscrossed:

Minidave · Dec 1, 2014

Now that the season's over, is it time to put this thread down and start a new one - F1-2015?

Nathan · Dec 1, 2014

F1 - 2015 Thread

http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/off-topic-racing/22980-2015-f1.html#axzz3KfCGfAiQ

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