@@ruststar Williams already going in down before her took over. they do not listen to their drivers ( ask Webber) among many others things like Frank WIlliams and Patrick Head being basically dictators in the team, overspending, being stuck in the past, terrible management... so it not so surprising they become a backmarker. it's not just her fault
Amazing women??? Given she is very articulate, but meritocracy died in Williams when she took over as team principal. The brains left and the team was left with Dead wood...Contrast that to how RedBull and to some extent other teams brought in talent to run the companies and left it to the experts.
The best thing Claire did- was sell the team to someone like Dorilton. The family lived through one of the roughest era of F1 - where manufacturers were spending untold Billions to race. Respect to Frank, Claire and family for how they went on; and even more, for having found a fitting custodian for the teams future.
It's difficult to imagine selling, because if her family held out for another 2 years, their valuation would've skyrocketed like every other team did. Though, perhaps it's for the best. Williams actually seems to be improving now that the Williams family isn't involved.
@@doghat1619 I don't think Williams would've survived another 2 years under the family's ownership. There simply wasn't enough money to invest in the team. Plus, selling the team, aside from the subsequent money injection, allowed the team to rebrand itself a bit, which attracted workforce from other teams and allowed it to flourish.
Fell in love with Williams watching them testing on the RAF base where I lived at 8 yrs old. Dreamt of working for Frank and at the age of 32 I made it. l luckily had 12 yrs speaking to Frank almost every day . The man was an absolute gentleman and legend, always positive and looking forward. The place doesn’t feel anywhere near the same with the family gone.
so glad to read this and happy for you to have such a privilege to work with Frank! I'm Williams fan from young days and never had any doubts about that, even when we hit the rock bottom. But there is bright future waiting for us now!
Classy interviewers who classically do not interrupt. Great interview and Miss W is impressively candid. Outstanding. Well done. So pleased the stress has gone. You see it in her face.
I'm a McLaren fan but I always wanted to see Williams win while Claire was Principal & still cheer for them now because the Williams legacy is important for F1.❤
Always really admired what she did as TP at Williams. Very tough to continue racing and survive for teams in the lower half of the grid during that period. Ran the team on 50% love of the sport and 50% love for her Father. Amazing story.
I'm subscribing not only for the great content, but mostly because you let Claire speak without interrupting her every 2 seconds. This is greatly appreciated and rarely seen.
I was a mechanic at JW Automotive in 1970 and our lunch trips from Slough to a pub near maiden head we would pass Williams racing a building about the size of 4 garages. Never imagined it was history in the making. 😊
She didn’t fail here. She kept her families legacy alive. It will be disappointing for her, but we still watch F1 and hear the Williams name every weekend
I love Claire and her Dad, what an amazing team in F1, they achieved so much, I was so gutted when they had to sell up, I wish her every success and happiness in her future life.
@@zatgeye7320 Because she didn't know any technology, she had never learned management or business operations. She was a hands-off boss from beginning to end. She couldn't even monitor what was happening in the team. She was just a nominal boss. So the team's performance got worse and worse because of her presence.
@@GeometryEX-hp9zsteam performance got worse because they didn’t have the budget to compete vs the big boys. She got the team back up there with martini sponsors and Mercedes engines as that gave them a good starting point. Issue is, Ferrari, red bull etc still have more money to out develop them
What an amazing story she tells. Such a capable and nice person. Also the best interview I've ever seen because you stayed quiet listened and let her speak. Well done.
@@PanzerChicken69 Williams the team did that almost every year they were running before she was even involved, I had friends that worked there and their technology branch. So what your saying is pointless.
Wow, what an interview! Heartbreaking listening to how much it has impacted her personally but hats off to her and her dad, what they brought to F1 has been absolutely phenomenal
I watched a documentary on Frank and It was obvious his family adored him and he adores them. I definitely got the impression that the story of Frank Williams is a love story.
Absolutely wonderful interview. I have been a Williams fan since 1986 when I had the honor of sitting in the FW11 during pre-season tire testing in Jacarepagua (Rio de Janeiro). Even though the Williams family isn't in the paddock anymore, Williams is still the team I want to see on top! Go Williams!
Outstanding interview. This is the first time I have watched/listened to your show. You have set the goal posts high. What a remarkable, witty, street-wise lady, very enjoyable.
Great interview, no matter they had to sell a team I'm very proud they managed to secure a legacy. I would be devastated if that team was sold and renamed.
Great interview. I really enjoyed watching Claire running Williams. It's great to how passionate she still is about the brand. It's heartbreaking that they had to sell, but it seems to be in good hands
this is such a good interview!! desperately miss having Claire as a team principal, would love to see how she’d be sticking it to all the boys now. I think she was and still is extremely under appreciated/underrated in the F1 community ❤
What a great interview, thanks to Claire for taking part in the interview. As a long time fan of Williams F1 it was great to get some insight into her years running the team.
What a wonderful interview. So much respect for Frank and Claire, so much success for a family team competing against the big manufacturers. Would love to see you back on the pit wall.
Such an excellent, informative interview. Genuine engagement from the interviewers. Someday I hope Williams makes it back to the top step and Claire can find some peace in that.
I'm new to F1 and i only knew Claire Williams through Drive to Survive and this interview was so interesting! It's great to learn and understand more of the behind the scenes of F1 and she is so nice to listen to. Amazing interview!
Thank you so much guys for this amazing interview with Claire. Loved her honesty in accepting that some vital decisions did not go as expected, many corporate CEO/ team boss would have blamed someone else inside or outside their system for the decisions that went wrong. Seeing the fire within Claire, I am sure she will get back to owning a F1 team again soon. Claire our best wishes to you & your family. Thank you guys. May God bless you all abundantly.
What an amazing interview. Thank you for having Claire on the show. What an amazing woman and leader of our era leaving a great legacy and opening doors for future generations of women 🙏🏼❤
Thank you for the valiant efforts claire, incredible to stick it out so independently in the era they find themselves in. They look to be much healthier now atleast
Wow, what a great interview! Claire Williams is such an intelligent and dedicated woman! I am very impressed by her. She can be very proud of herself, even after all the difficult things that took place! She is a fascinating person and she really knows what she is talking about. I always liked her - and after this interview I like her even more!
What a great interview, thoroughly enjoyed listening to Claire's open and honest answers to well composed questions. Love how she hold's her head high and takes responsibility for the drop in Williams' fortunes, however that may have come about. Some other team managers could take a moral leaf from her book. WIlliams is a team that will continue by name only thanks to her families legacy, and as a fan since the late 80's, I can't imagine an F1 championship without the Williams name in it.
Big soft spot for Williams Racing. Best video was when Lewis drove Frank Williams around Silverstone, and Claire was saying go slower and they were both “Nah…hit it, Lewis!”
It was Williams and Mansell in 92 and a williams model my grandmother bought me that started my love of F1, Mansell, Prost, Hill, Villeneuve. Love williams for making me Love f1. Wonderful interview, insightful and dignified. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I just started watching f1 this year and hearing the story of how Williams was made makes me feel so much respect for the team. I watched dts and it made me so sad to watch Claire and the team struggle so much and then finally having to sell the team. Claire did an amazing job by working with what she had. This whole women in f1 situation is frustrating and just makes me miss her even more (even though I wan't a fan when she was team principal but that doesn't matter)
A wonderfully honest, no BS interview, absolutely worth watching and listening to. But its sad that Clair and the Williams team just missed out by a few months (Prior to the buy out) to be financially stable.
She has certainly mellowed out - she made a couple of very duff decisions regarding personnel and although she is unable to say who and why, I suspect they were made more in hope than pure pragmatism. 2019 testing was a debacle - to be honest the whole team of that period should be ashamed in letting it happen but Claire had to suffer the visceral hatred it created. I can't help feeling she would have been better getting her brother to run the factory and she could have concentrated more on the marketing, sponsorship and team politics, which was more her natural forte. Sad the family is no longer in control but it seems Dorilton are slowly restoring things even if it is only the name above the door that really remains! I have many good memories of the factories in Station Road & Basil Hill Road working with the guys there in the late 80's and early 90's. I long for the team to return to a sustained period of competitiveness and ultimately championship success.
Agreed. Frank and Claire (and Patrick Head) made a series of shortsighted decisions over a period of many years that gradually consigned the team to back marker status. She may be a lovely person, but she is not an F1 team manager.
I'm going to see if you have any more episodes like this on F1. If you don't, please offer more in the future. This is FACINATING. The comment that fans like the behind the scenes look into F1 is true. More conversation on the inner workings of an F1 team would continue to fascinate us all.
Great to watch this, thank you! I'm glad you mentioned about Susie Wolff driving the Williams F1 Car in 2012, I was literally mid typing this comment when you then brought it up, she did a fantastic job when she was in an F1 car during free practice sessions, and it wasn't just the Williams she drove.... It's very fitting she now runs the Women's Academy in Motorsport.
She's a sensible, straight-speaking lady, and she's done absolutely the right thing for her late dad's team. She's an admirable, down to earth person, I wish Williams well - particularly with Sainz driving for them in 25/26, very exciting.
Claire Williams is a quite a remarkable woman. When she took over for her father, the team was expected to die, and it has only grown remarkably……. She’s done a a fabulous job, everyone associated with F1 should be proud how’s she promoted the organization
Nothing but respect for Claire. What her father did was almost unparalleled, a tough act to follow. Her family name will still be racing around the track due to her actions. And now have Sainz behind the wheel.
I was always fond of Williams Racing. Especially when Villeneuve won the championship in ‘97. As a third generation family business owner, I can really relate to difficult transition part of her story.
What a wonderful interview, I'm glad you guys just let her speak without interruptions. I hung on her every word. Amazing woman.
💯 Claire is certainly is an amazing woman!
Amazing how? By ruining Williams teams in a few years, then yeah she is amazingly inept.
@@ruststar Williams already going in down before her took over. they do not listen to their drivers ( ask Webber) among many others things like Frank WIlliams and Patrick Head being basically dictators in the team, overspending, being stuck in the past, terrible management... so it not so surprising they become a backmarker. it's not just her fault
That ship was already sinking
Amazing women??? Given she is very articulate, but meritocracy died in Williams when she took over as team principal. The brains left and the team was left with Dead wood...Contrast that to how RedBull and to some extent other teams brought in talent to run the companies and left it to the experts.
The best thing Claire did- was sell the team to someone like Dorilton.
The family lived through one of the roughest era of F1 - where manufacturers were spending untold Billions to race.
Respect to Frank, Claire and family for how they went on; and even more, for having found a fitting custodian for the teams future.
this can't be overstated - so many good companies implode after a bad transfer...
Absolutely, and respect to them for being a family business being able to compete with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes Benz, at least for a while
Miss you Claire.Wish you were still thereto enjoy the recent successes.
It's difficult to imagine selling, because if her family held out for another 2 years, their valuation would've skyrocketed like every other team did.
Though, perhaps it's for the best. Williams actually seems to be improving now that the Williams family isn't involved.
@@doghat1619 I don't think Williams would've survived another 2 years under the family's ownership. There simply wasn't enough money to invest in the team.
Plus, selling the team, aside from the subsequent money injection, allowed the team to rebrand itself a bit, which attracted workforce from other teams and allowed it to flourish.
Fell in love with Williams watching them testing on the RAF base where I lived at 8 yrs old. Dreamt of working for Frank and at the age of 32 I made it. l luckily had 12 yrs speaking to Frank almost every day . The man was an absolute gentleman and legend, always positive and looking forward. The place doesn’t feel anywhere near the same with the family gone.
so glad to read this and happy for you to have such a privilege to work with Frank! I'm Williams fan from young days and never had any doubts about that, even when we hit the rock bottom. But there is bright future waiting for us now!
What courage to speak openly about such a visibly painful subject. Thank you
Claire is such a class act. It so unfortunate that she could not hang on to the team. Great interview.
Did not plan to watch this but sat through the entire thing, absolutely captivated throughout. Thank you for putting this out!
Classy interviewers who classically do not interrupt. Great interview and Miss W is impressively candid. Outstanding. Well done. So pleased the stress has gone. You see it in her face.
I'm a McLaren fan but I always wanted to see Williams win while Claire was Principal & still cheer for them now because the Williams legacy is important for F1.❤
Always really admired what she did as TP at Williams. Very tough to continue racing and survive for teams in the lower half of the grid during that period.
Ran the team on 50% love of the sport and 50% love for her Father. Amazing story.
PLEASE write a book Claire!
This.
I'm subscribing not only for the great content, but mostly because you let Claire speak without interrupting her every 2 seconds. This is greatly appreciated and rarely seen.
I was a mechanic at JW Automotive in 1970 and our lunch trips from Slough to a pub near maiden head we would pass Williams racing a building about the size of 4 garages. Never imagined it was history in the making. 😊
Total respect for Claire. The haters over the years have been just disgusting with the comments they have posted. All the best to her in the future.
She personally brought the team to the ground and if u dont see that you are straight up delulu m8
@@cdeb5898 explain then m8
i am one of those haters. f1 is a mans game. women should stay out of our fun and joy - go find ur own game like curling. thank you
She didn’t fail here. She kept her families legacy alive. It will be disappointing for her, but we still watch F1 and hear the Williams name every weekend
Unfortunately the team will be sold again at some point, nothing lasts forever. When that happens the new owners will rename it.
I have the greatest of respect for Claire Williams. An absolute class and a superb leader. I will miss watching her on F1.
Williams and Maclaren were my ins to the sport back in the early 90's. Those 2 teams hold a special place in my F1 heart. Great interview.
I love Claire and her Dad, what an amazing team in F1, they achieved so much, I was so gutted when they had to sell up, I wish her every success and happiness in her future life.
Her dad achieved that. She didn’t achieve anything. As a matter of fact she almost destroyed what her father built.
@@zatgeye7320 Because she didn't know any technology, she had never learned management or business operations. She was a hands-off boss from beginning to end. She couldn't even monitor what was happening in the team. She was just a nominal boss. So the team's performance got worse and worse because of her presence.
@@GeometryEX-hp9zsteam performance got worse because they didn’t have the budget to compete vs the big boys. She got the team back up there with martini sponsors and Mercedes engines as that gave them a good starting point. Issue is, Ferrari, red bull etc still have more money to out develop them
What an amazing story she tells. Such a capable and nice person. Also the best interview I've ever seen because you stayed quiet listened and let her speak. Well done.
Amazing lady.. The stress they must have gone through. She's amazing!!
She allmost bankrupted Williams
@@PanzerChicken69 Williams the team did that almost every year they were running before she was even involved, I had friends that worked there and their technology branch. So what your saying is pointless.
Why infantilise women? She was terrible. But she was a woman. So therefore “amazing”
@@griptopia No, Claire was absolutely terrible and we're all glad she is gone
@@griptopia she was always involved with Williams ever since she graduated from uni. So what you said is pointless.
She's a class act.
Brilliant interview F1 could do with a team principle like Claire now, honest and purpose driven
Claire is such a breath of fresh air. So genuine. Great interview
Really enjoyed that as a F1 fan. Claire was brilliant as expected
3 minutes in. Frank was more of a legend than I knew!
An amazing interview, massive respect for Claire. We need a part 2!
What an enlightening & honest interview, Frank would be so proud.
Thank you claire for saving Williams!
Excellent interview. Massive respect to Claire for helping other women, seeing the issues and doing what she can for them.
Amazing interview with a truly remarkable lady such a shame she didn't have it in better times
Comes across as a lovely lady, met Frank on my visits to Williams F1, always spoke, had a soft spot for these guys 👍👏
Loved this interview with Claire, so open and honest. Such a shame they didn't keep a % of the team in the family.
What an amazing life she has had and what a fantastic woman she is. Very transparent with her answers I was mesmerized I learnt so much.
I'm so sorry for what happened to you and your team, Claire! You are a class act and are very much missed!
Wow, what an interview! Heartbreaking listening to how much it has impacted her personally but hats off to her and her dad, what they brought to F1 has been absolutely phenomenal
I watched a documentary on Frank and It was obvious his family adored him and he adores them. I definitely got the impression that the story of Frank Williams is a love story.
Imagine that a small, kind act like take a kid for a ride around the block resulted in history. If only we had more of that in the world ❤️
For now, I will imagine that I am imagining imagining a world where people are able to leave comment that do not always start with Imagine.
Taking about selling brought a tear to my eye.
Absolutely wonderful interview. I have been a Williams fan since 1986 when I had the honor of sitting in the FW11 during pre-season tire testing in Jacarepagua (Rio de Janeiro). Even though the Williams family isn't in the paddock anymore, Williams is still the team I want to see on top!
Go Williams!
Outstanding interview. This is the first time I have watched/listened to your show. You have set the goal posts high. What a remarkable, witty, street-wise lady, very enjoyable.
What an interesting interview . I really miss Claire in F1 . Very interesting insight
Great interview, no matter they had to sell a team I'm very proud they managed to secure a legacy. I would be devastated if that team was sold and renamed.
Great interview. I really enjoyed watching Claire running Williams. It's great to how passionate she still is about the brand. It's heartbreaking that they had to sell, but it seems to be in good hands
this is such a good interview!! desperately miss having Claire as a team principal, would love to see how she’d be sticking it to all the boys now. I think she was and still is extremely under appreciated/underrated in the F1 community ❤
What a great interview, thanks to Claire for taking part in the interview. As a long time fan of Williams F1 it was great to get some insight into her years running the team.
Amazing amazing interview, definitely new found love and appreciation for Williams legacy.
Fantastic interview. A lot of time for listening to Claire. Always comes across well. Loved this
What a wonderful interview. So much respect for Frank and Claire, so much success for a family team competing against the big manufacturers. Would love to see you back on the pit wall.
Such an excellent, informative interview. Genuine engagement from the interviewers. Someday I hope Williams makes it back to the top step and Claire can find some peace in that.
I'm new to F1 and i only knew Claire Williams through Drive to Survive and this interview was so interesting! It's great to learn and understand more of the behind the scenes of F1 and she is so nice to listen to. Amazing interview!
Thank you so much guys for this amazing interview with Claire.
Loved her honesty in accepting that some vital decisions did not go as expected, many corporate CEO/ team boss would have blamed someone else inside or outside their system for the decisions that went wrong. Seeing the fire within Claire, I am sure she will get back to owning a F1 team again soon. Claire our best wishes to you & your family. Thank you guys. May God bless you all abundantly.
What an amazing interview. Thank you for having Claire on the show. What an amazing woman and leader of our era leaving a great legacy and opening doors for future generations of women 🙏🏼❤
This was a great interview with a great Team Principal. Such an honest interview and one I will watch again. Thank You Claire Williams
Thank you for the valiant efforts claire, incredible to stick it out so independently in the era they find themselves in. They look to be much healthier now atleast
Thanks super interview still my favourite team as a local to Grove.
Wow, what a great interview! Claire Williams is such an intelligent and dedicated woman! I am very impressed by her. She can be very proud of herself, even after all the difficult things that took place! She is a fascinating person and she really knows what she is talking about. I always liked her - and after this interview I like her even more!
Claire is such an amazing person, running that team was probably one of the hardest things you can ever do in life
What a great interview, thoroughly enjoyed listening to Claire's open and honest answers to well composed questions. Love how she hold's her head high and takes responsibility for the drop in Williams' fortunes, however that may have come about. Some other team managers could take a moral leaf from her book. WIlliams is a team that will continue by name only thanks to her families legacy, and as a fan since the late 80's, I can't imagine an F1 championship without the Williams name in it.
Big soft spot for Williams Racing. Best video was when Lewis drove Frank Williams around Silverstone, and Claire was saying go slower and they were both “Nah…hit it, Lewis!”
It was Williams and Mansell in 92 and a williams model my grandmother bought me that started my love of F1, Mansell, Prost, Hill, Villeneuve. Love williams for making me
Love f1. Wonderful interview, insightful and dignified. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great insight. A lot of respect for Claire.
Lovely show !
Always liked that team!
Still have 1997 championship winning T- shirt 💪
Very good interview, great job! Claire is such an interesting guest. Well done!
What an amazing in-depth interview which enjoy so much
Frank, what a man, Claire, what a daughter. Stoicism personified.
I just started watching f1 this year and hearing the story of how Williams was made makes me feel so much respect for the team. I watched dts and it made me so sad to watch Claire and the team struggle so much and then finally having to sell the team. Claire did an amazing job by working with what she had. This whole women in f1 situation is frustrating and just makes me miss her even more (even though I wan't a fan when she was team principal but that doesn't matter)
Just loved this interview, thank you
Excellent content.
Gotta love Claire...
A wonderfully honest, no BS interview, absolutely worth watching and listening to. But its sad that Clair and the Williams team just missed out by a few months (Prior to the buy out) to be financially stable.
She has certainly mellowed out - she made a couple of very duff decisions regarding personnel and although she is unable to say who and why, I suspect they were made more in hope than pure pragmatism. 2019 testing was a debacle - to be honest the whole team of that period should be ashamed in letting it happen but Claire had to suffer the visceral hatred it created. I can't help feeling she would have been better getting her brother to run the factory and she could have concentrated more on the marketing, sponsorship and team politics, which was more her natural forte. Sad the family is no longer in control but it seems Dorilton are slowly restoring things even if it is only the name above the door that really remains! I have many good memories of the factories in Station Road & Basil Hill Road working with the guys there in the late 80's and early 90's. I long for the team to return to a sustained period of competitiveness and ultimately championship success.
Agreed. Frank and Claire (and Patrick Head) made a series of shortsighted decisions over a period of many years that gradually consigned the team to back marker status. She may be a lovely person, but she is not an F1 team manager.
@@welles28 The department that suits her best is the publicity and marketing department. She is not suitable for real management work.
It’s heartbreaking she had to sell her namesake. She sounds brilliant and the timing/support was just not there for them. Wonderful interview ❤
What a great interview!!!!
I'm going to see if you have any more episodes like this on F1. If you don't, please offer more in the future. This is FACINATING. The comment that fans like the behind the scenes look into F1 is true. More conversation on the inner workings of an F1 team would continue to fascinate us all.
This is one of the best F1 interviews i have ever had th3 pleasure or listening too. Deserves way more recognition and views.
Amazing lady, amazing team. Been a fan since I first saw them at Brands Hatch with Alan Jones. Saudia sponsorship so iconic.
Great to watch this, thank you! I'm glad you mentioned about Susie Wolff driving the Williams F1 Car in 2012, I was literally mid typing this comment when you then brought it up, she did a fantastic job when she was in an F1 car during free practice sessions, and it wasn't just the Williams she drove....
It's very fitting she now runs the Women's Academy in Motorsport.
what's the outcome of Susie's free practice? ZERO
I loved the interview. Claire is an amazing woman, I can’t imagine how difficult was to make the decision to sell the team. Cheers
Really good show, well done.
Great and open interview 👍🏻
She's a sensible, straight-speaking lady, and she's done absolutely the right thing for her late dad's team. She's an admirable, down to earth person, I wish Williams well - particularly with Sainz driving for them in 25/26, very exciting.
It was really interesting to listen to Claire’s insight, not only as Frank’s daughter, but also as former TP. Great speaker.
This was so great! Love Claire, my heart breaks for her that she had to sell.
Great interview. Thank you so much Claire, for your contribution.
God, what a great podcast! Claire Williams, if I was str8, YOU would be top of my list!
Excellent interview- one of the finest ever on F-1
"Even if you are not a Williams fan, you are a Williams fan" - Vettel, Sebastian
The lady is pure class 👍👍
Claire Williams is a quite a remarkable woman. When she took over for her father, the team was expected to die, and it has only grown remarkably……. She’s done a a fabulous job, everyone associated with F1 should be proud how’s she promoted the organization
May I say that not only is Claire brilliant, humble, caring about her passion and people, but she is beautiful as well.
Always liked Claire Williams such a great lady. ❤️
Fantastic interview 👏
This was an amazing and very insightful interview. Thank you for having Claire! It was refreshing to hear about F1 from her perspective.
A very interesting interview from a lady who knew her business and the same time very discreet about sponsors etc.
A very smart lady..... glad she found happiness outside of F1.
Nothing but respect for Claire. What her father did was almost unparalleled, a tough act to follow. Her family name will still be racing around the track due to her actions. And now have Sainz behind the wheel.
Claire is very smart, more than most people give her credit for,
It's such a joy to listen to such an intelligent and articulate person. I'm so pleased to have had this glimpse of who Claire really is.
I am such a big fan of Claire. Watch all her interviews and this one is the best imo.
Lovely interview! I started watching F1 after she had already left so I'm always curious about her time in F1.
I was always fond of Williams Racing. Especially when Villeneuve won the championship in ‘97. As a third generation family business owner, I can really relate to difficult transition part of her story.
Great Great Interview!