Williams, a documentary about Sir Frank Williams and the racing empire he built is set be released on August 4. To the younger generation of Formula One fans, Williams is the team that seems to be just a step behind. Every once and while a Willimas driver will end up on the podium, but the team can never seem to put all the pieces in place to fight for victories. That wasn’t always the case.
Williams may be in a bit of long a dry spell, but it is one of the most successful teams in the history of Formula One. It has won the Constructor’s Championship nine times, which was a record until the 2000 season where Michael Schumacher won Ferrari’s tenth. Williams has also taken the Driver’s title seven times and sits third on the list of most race victories in Formula One with 114, with only McLaren and Ferrari in front of them.
Williams has also seen its share of tragedy over the years. Sir Frank Williams was almost killed in a road car accident in 1986. The accident left him partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. In 1994, the legendary Ayrton Senna lost his life at Imola while driving for Williams. Though the team won two championships following Senna’s death, arguably that was a turning point from which the team seems to be just recently recovering from.
Today, Williams is showing signs of life again. Young driver Lance Stroll could be their hope for the future, with the unretired Felipe Massa showing him the way. Sir Frank has handed most of his responsibilities over to his daughter Claire Williams, who worked her way in the team on merit and not name. It’s fitting that now Sir Frank and his team get a proper documentary treatment. It is well deserved and overdue.
This is the trailer to Williams, directed by Morgan Matthews. The movie will be out in theaters and via Curzon Home Cinema in the UK on August 4, 2017, with DVD, Blu-ray, and on-demand streaming on August 14.
