[PapaofGags]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/claire-wil...king-away/

[Claire Williams admits Williams’ wretched season has her questioning whether she is the right person for the job, but until someone at Williams tells her otherwise, she won’t give up.

The FW41 has been criticised from all quarters.
She, however, says until such a time as someone at Williams tells her that she the problem, she’ll keep pushing on and try fix the situation.
She told The Sun: “Of course I think about walking away.
“Anyone with a team in this position would but it’s not because I can’t be bothered any more.
“I question whether I’m the right person to be doing this job. But I haven’t got to the point where I look in the mirror and think I’m the problem.
“If people are criticising me in the paddock or on social media, they can do that all they like.
“But if anyone in Williams says to my face that I was damaging the team, then I would go.
“Until then, I have much more I can do and I won’t give up. We are 10th and I hold my hands up. It is up to us to fix it.”

[LotusLover]

Surely she has to take a large part of the responsibility, they need a change there but the right change

[Jody Barton]

I'm surprised no one in the team has said it to her face.

[Purple-banana]

“But if anyone in Williams says to my face that I was damaging the team, then I would go.

Well presumably she's still on maternity leave??? Does Skype/E-mail not count?

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I'm surprised no one in the team has said it to her face.

I reckon Patrick Head (and what a massive head he has lol ) probably said that a while back, which resulted in him leaving.

No harm to Claire, I used to respect her, but when I watched the recent Williams documentary, she had made, it was so cringe worthy to watch, it was less about the team, and more about the family politics, which saw her take over.

I actually never, liked Frank, (rightly or wrongly) originally, but always respected him, and even more so now, while losing, pretty much all respect for Claire in the same time.

Shame - but at least she has an excuse - Ron Dennis, who first built a giant in the sport, and then destroyed it, has none - but that's another discussion

[morini]

Shame - but at least she has an excuse - Ron Dennis, who first built a giant in the sport, and then destroyed it, has none - but that's another discussion

I don't share your opinion on that. Ron didn't destroy McLaren, at least not directly. The lure of Middle Eastern cash did for McLaren - sure, Ron must shoulder some of the blame, but oil money has killed that team. Sad.

But this is a thread about Williams and you are cirrect (it is another dicussion), so I'll shut up.

[forzaferrari]

Williams has decided against taking the Mercedes gearbox next year, following discussions with the German car manufacturer about the potential for a closer collaboration.
On the back of a difficult 2018 Formula 1 campaign, Williams has been looking at how best it can do things differently in the future to turn its fortunes around.
One idea was to expand its partnership with Mercedes beyond just an engine supply, and take its gearbox as well.
As well as cost savings, such a move would allow Williams to also focus more of its effort on performance improvements.

It is a strategy that Haas and Sauber have with Ferrari, while Force India also takes its gearbox from Mercedes.
But following internal discussions at Williams, and preliminary talks with Mercedes, the Grove-based outfit has now decided against the move.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “We are not taking the Mercedes gearbox. There is no increased collaboration outside of the engine deal.
“We talked about it and explored the opportunity with Mercedes. And it didn’t make sense for us for a number of reasons.”

Satellite operations
The thought process surrounding taking the Mercedes gearbox comes at a time when F1 is engaged in an intense debate about collaborations between teams – and concerns that manufacturers will user smaller outfits to work for them to help get around future budget cap restrictions.
Williams does not like the idea of teams working together in such a way, but knows that if the rules do not change and the competitive advantages of doing so remain, then her team will have to change its policy in the future.

“Of course we have evaluated whether we want to do something like that this year, but it didn’t work out for us for whatever reason right here and right now,” she added.
“That is not to say that we have closed the door on it completely. I would much rather the regulations changed to close the door on the whole thing completely.

“If it transpires that next year we may have to do something, then we may have to do something and it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It wouldn’t be ideal, but you have to adapt to the changing times, otherwise you become dinosaurs.”

[NeilP]

I dont see how using third party businesses to manufacture components is "finding a way around the budget cap". That is a process used by nearly every single business in the world!

It makes all the sense in the world for Williams to use a Mercedes Gearbox why am I not surprised a bottom feeder team is yet again making a mistake, I mean clearly its not working for either Force India, Haas or Sauber!!!!

I am so disappointed as a fan of the sport, of Williams as a British team and of the cess pit that is their car.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I am so disappointed as a fan of the sport, of Williams as a British team and of the cess pit that is their car.

Again, I see it sort of both ways, but my view may be coloured, by being a fan of Enstone / Renault, who manufacture all their own parts, well, maybe not brakes, (Brembo is it?)

but I kinda applaud Williams in this regard, yeah, it's within the rules, the way Haas, has managed to be so good by just buying everything they can from Ferrari, whilst I don't begrudge them their success, and in fact want more independent teams in the sport.

The basic principal was supposed to be that you "design, build and race your own car" as I understood it. Also while it has been a bad time for them, that "cesspit" of a car and, that god awful "paid driver Stroll, just trounced McL, with a P10.

My main concern though, is that Teams like Ferrai and Merc, do seem to want to use "slave" teams.

It's all good if Haas, Sauber, and Force India, don't allow themselves to be pushed around, for once in a long time, I agree with Clare

[forzaferrari]

Williams are yet to make a decision about their driver line-up plans for 2019 with an announcement potentially delayed until the end of this season.

With 15 of the 20 seats for the 2019 grid already secured, both of the places at Williams are at present unoccupied.
But while Sergey Sirotkin is expected to be retained, Lance Stroll is a near-certainty to depart for Force India after his father led a consortium buy-out of the team.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/...er-line-up