Product Description

Founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams F1 represents the last of the true independent teams; a company devoid of corporate dogma and run by enthusiasts driven by a love of racing and the satisfaction that comes with beating the rest of the world. Since its first Grand Prix victory at Silverstone on 14 July 1979, the team has won a further 116 GPs, delivered seven World Champions - among them Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill - and won nine Constructors Championships. This is the definitive history of the Williams team as told by those who have worked for Williams past and present. At the heart of the book are Sir Frank's personal recollections, along with memories and anecdotes from those at every level: from the shop floor to the upper strata of management; from the mechanics and machinists to the drivers - Mansell, Hill, Alain Prost and Alan Jones among them. It relates both the incredible highs of winning against the odds while never shying the terrible lows - the tragic deaths of Piers Courage in 1970 and Ayrton Senna in 1994 among them. Conveying the history and soul of a unique band of people, "Williams F1" explains exactly why the Williams team is held in more affection than any other team in Britain, if not the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2696 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

About the Author
Maurice Hamilton has been covering Formula 1 as a freelance journalist since 1977. He has attended more than 450 Grands Prix, including every race since 1984. The author of 19 books, Hamilton also commentates on the Grands Prix for BBC Radio 5 Live.

Customer Reviews

5 Star authorship, 2 Star production
I looked forward to reading this book from the moment that I heard it was coming. I have been a fan of Williams Formula 1 team since the FW06 (where the hell did they come from?) days. Well, here is where they came from.

All the stories that have done the rounds regarding Sir Frank, Patrick and the team are here as you would hope. But this time the people that were there are coming clean...ish.

If you have read the authors previous works regarding Williams as a Grand Prix team then most of the anecdotes will be familiar, but even so reading Dickie Stanford, Alan Jones,Frank Dernie (even Ron Dennis) telling it how they remember it is great fun. It is also very moving. Piers Courage still seems to be an inspiration to Frank and a rightly so, although Alan Jones still seems to be the the template for a Williams driver.

Why only 4 stars?

The book is printed on cheap paper in a small format and the photographs are few, far between and uninspiring. Except for the last one.

I love this book, but would have happily paid more money for a more satisfying and tactile volume.

A very interesting read
If your into Formula 1 & its history this is a book for you. Gives a good account of the history of Williams & the people behind it. Well worth a read

A great read for F1 enthusiasts
If you are into F1 and autobiography, this is for you. The history is interesting and the manner in which it is written provides the reader with the professional view along with the words of the individuals involved.