Williams: Hill vs Frentzen

[Mark]

Looking back many years now. Many said in 1996 that Frank Williams was totally crazy to sack the world championship leader (who of course went on to become world champion) in favour of Frentzen, who then went on to flounder in the Williams.

But at the time Frentzen was touted as being 'faster than Schumacher'.

[PolePosition_1]

Looking back many years now. Many said in 1996 that Frank Williams was totally crazy to sack the world championship leader (who of course went on to become world champion) in favour of Frentzen, who then went on to flounder in the Williams.

But at the time Frentzen was touted as being 'faster than Schumacher'.

The way Williams treated Damon Hill back then was very poor. I like and have so much respect for Williams, but it took me a while before I re-found my respect for them.

[Mark]

The way Williams treated Damon Hill back then was very poor. I like and have so much respect for Williams, but it took me a while before I re-found my respect for them.

I found it quite interesting that during the Hungarian Grand Prix Damon said that he wanted the Williams team to do well. He obviously still holds affection for the team despite them treating him the way they did.

I have to say, personally, I still don't like Williams, and that goes all the way back to 1996!

[ArrowsFA1]

Sir Frank has since admitted Williams got that one wrong, but the decision to replace him with Frentzen was made long before Damon won his title.

[V12]

I admit that now Williams would probably be my "favourite team" (if I had one), because of the no-nonsense way they go about their business etc.

But like the post above, it took me a long time to get over the way they dumped Hill for Frentzen, which was a lot for an unashamedly patrotic 13 year old boy to handle at the time. It probably wasn't until the hiring of Button and the subsequent years with Montoya (who I was also a fan of despite not being British) that I re-found any affection for them.

Looking back, on the face of it ditching Hill for Frentzen was a mistake given their relative performances in '96 and '97. But then even I (albeit as a slightly more mature 16 year old) couldn't deny that Frentzen destroyed Damon when they were teammates at Jordan in '99, although in all truth Damon was probably well past his peak by then, while Frentzen was probably AT his peak.

Looking back 12 years ahead and TRYING to be as impartial as possible, I still however think it was a mistake. Given that Ferrari were still a few of years of gelling and technical evolution away from the "superteam", and that Villeneuve and Frentzen spent most of the summer of '97 trying in every way possible to gift Schumacher the title, I think Damon's experience (both with the team and in general) would have been enough to bring the '97 title home comfortably.

It is also widely believed that Williams' treatment of Hill was a big factor in Adrian Newey's decision to leave. To be honest I don't know if that was 100% true but let's assume it was for a second. That equals a more competitive 1998 Williams, and a less competitive 1998 McLaren, with Ferrari about the same. Assuming Renault were going anyway, it would still have left Williams a much more competitive propsition in '98 and '99 than they were.

And who knows, maybe if Williams had dominated 1997, rather than scraping the title at the death, maybe Renault could have been persuaded to stay, I personally doubt it (I vaguely remember something about having nothing left to prove with Williams, which to be fair was true) but you never know...

[Rollo]

Sir Frank had to sack Hill for the simple reason that successful drivers demand a higher paycheque, and that is something which he simple can not abide with.

Between 1987 and 1997 Williams let go of Piquet, Mansell, Prost, Hill and Villeneuve and had Senna won the title in 1994, they probably would have let him go as well. Or to put that in perspective, Williams let go of drivers who had between them won 10 World Drivers Championships, the very season after they drove for them.

Something strange forbids Sir Frank from letting drivers defend their title with his cars... (ignoring Jones and Rosberg).

[V12]

Sir Frank had to sack Hill for the simple reason that successful drivers demand a higher paycheque, and that is something which he simple can not abide with.

Between 1987 and 1997 Williams let go of Piquet, Mansell, Prost, Hill and Villeneuve and had Senna won the title in 1994, they probably would have let him go as well. Or to put that in perspective, Williams let go of drivers who had between them won 10 World Drivers Championships, the very season after they drove for them.

Something strange forbids Sir Frank from letting drivers defend their title with his cars... (ignoring Jones and Rosberg).

Good point....I guess a telling fact is that Villeneuve in 1998 was the first Williams driver with #1 on the car since Rosberg in '83. Although to be fair Prost retired rather than being dumped (or did Senna's imminent arrival push him out?)

[ioan]

I never liked Williams, nor McLaren for that matter, to much arrogance to my liking.
Williams and Head always treated their drivers badly, for no apparent reason.

[PolePosition_1]

I never liked Williams, nor McLaren for that matter, to much arrogance to my liking.
Williams and Head always treated their drivers badly, for no apparent reason.

Dunno, I've got impression your a Ferrari fan, presumably you dislike them because they've been to 2 main teams to beat Ferrari consistantly or challenge them over past 15 years (making exception of Renault/Bennetton).

What you think of Renault?

In what ways do Williams treat their drivers badly? I'm not disagreeing, but just want you to explain yourself a bit more

[ChrisS]

Sir Frank had to sack Hill for the simple reason that successful drivers demand a higher paycheque, and that is something which he simple can not abide with.

Between 1987 and 1997 Williams let go of Piquet, Mansell, Prost, Hill and Villeneuve and had Senna won the title in 1994, they probably would have let him go as well. Or to put that in perspective, Williams let go of drivers who had between them won 10 World Drivers Championships, the very season after they drove for them.

Something strange forbids Sir Frank from letting drivers defend their title with his cars... (ignoring Jones and Rosberg).

Well things aren't exactly like that. Most of them jumped ship, they weren't pushed.

In 1988 Piquet left Williams after they lost their Honda engines supply to join Lotus, who had Honda engines.
In 1994 Prost choose to retire with 1 year left in his Williams contract than have Senna as his team mate again.
In 1996 I agree with you that Hill was let go because he wanted more than what Williams was willing to give.
In 1998 Villeneuve remained with the team and left in 1999 to join BAR that was co-owned by his friend and manager, Craig Pollock.

1993 was more complicated. Prost had signed with Williams for 1993 since the beginning of the 1992 season, Williams had made an offer to Mansell but he was not happy Williams signed Prost without him knowing and feared a repeat of their stay together at Ferrari. Senna offered to race for free so Williams withdrew their offer to Mansell (who wanted a lot of money) and tried to find a way to put Senna in their car (something that was not allowed by a clause in Prost's contract). Unable to get Senna they made a late offer to Mansell but by then he decided to retire by F1 and move to CART