F1 owes its success to men like Williams, says Ecclestone
Former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone paid tribute to the late Frank Williams as a pioneer who helped to build the modern sport and without whom it might have ceased to exist.
Williams, who had been quadriplegic since a 1986 car accident in France, died on Sunday aged 79, his family said in a statement.
The eponymous team he founded, still the second most successful in terms of constructors’ championships and third oldest, was sold to US-based Dorilton Capital last year.
Williams came from an era where title-winning teams were run by their founders, men such as Enzo Ferrari, Ken Tyrrell and Lotus boss Colin Chapman who are all long gone.
“Without those type of people I doubt whether Formula One would have still been going now. Probably Ferrari would have stopped and that would have been it,” Ecclestone, 91, told Reuters.
“Thereโs not many of the old-timers floating around now — those that were with the teams when they started.
“You could buy an engine and a gearbox (in those days). You didnโt need to have multi, multi-billions and have 1,000 people working for you.”
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Williams F1 founder Frank Williams dies aged 79
Ecclestone, who took over and ran the Brabham team in the early 1970s, recalled Williams as an old friend who got over life’s financial and physical obstacles with charm and determination.
“Frank was a little bit special as a person. And that sort of showed in the way he kept going,” he said.
“Things were never really bad as far as Frank was concerned, he never complained about things. He got on with things the best way he could. And thatโs the reason he was so successful. He was a racer through and through.”
Ecclestone recalled the obsessive physical fitness fanatic who before his accident would run for miles before dinner but also showed a keen eye for style.
“He was always ahead of the game. He knew about cashmere sweaters when Iโd never heard of cashmere. That was Frank,” said the British billionaire.
“Heโd say to me ‘Could you lend me 2,000 pounds’. And Iโd say yes. And heโd say ‘Iโll pay you in 10 days’. As sure as anything, Frank would return in 10 days with 2,000 pounds.
“Heโd talk about whatever and then just before he went heโd say โI wonder if you could help me? Do you think you could lend me 2,500 pounds? Iโll pay you back in 10 days.โ And thatโs how we worked with Frank. I would trust him with my life.”
Ecclestone also recalled sitting in hospital, after Williams had been flown back from France to London, with Formula One doctor Professor Sid Watkins.
“I said โHow longโs this going to last?โ and he (Watkins) said โI think heโll be here for six months looking at the ceilingโ. I said โIs he going to survive all this?โ and he said โI donโt think soโ. And Sid really knew (the science).
“As usual Frank proved everyone wrong. They donโt grow them like Frank any more”.