Williams

Having watched several documentaries over the years on legends of motor sport. Graham Hill Jackie Stewart Jim Clarke and now Sir Frank Williams. They all strike me as extremely driven determined and selfish individuals who put there need to increase the speed of their cars above all else and in Frank Williams most of all his family. They always came second to his F1 team. Despite having a remarkable wife who stuck by him despite numerous affairs and a near fatal accident that left him severely paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. In this insightful documentary we learn much about this remarkable man who took a struggling team on the point of bankruptcy to a multi million pound business winning several world titles along the way. We also learn much about his daughter Claire who herself has had difficult family decisions to make in her quest to become the most powerful woman in the male dominated world of Formula one. 9/10

A British sports documentary; A story about Frank Williams, a British businessman, former racing car driver, and mechanic. It tells the moving story of how he fought career and personal battles to achieve success as a Formula One motor racing constructor and recovered his health following a motor accident. Using interviews with close friends and family, including audio tapes recorded secretly by his wife during the period she was caring for him, it is a poignant story. It captures two types of determination: one who is entirely driven by passion for their chosen work with consequences, and another who is strong, loyal, loving, and proud, besotted with their partner and the cost that may carry personally.

Definitely one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while. As a big fan of Formula 1 i couldn't wait to see this one since I realised that I actually don't know much about Frank Williams' life. And what a life this man had. From being obsessed with racing as a young man he did everything in his power to get to the top and it wasn't an easy way. He overcame many struggles which is truly inspirational.

This film goes quite deep to show us the relationships between the Williams family members. It carries quite an emotional punch but without ever being overly sentimental.

If you are a true Formula 1 fan you will definitely enjoy this and if you are not you will enjoy it as well since the story of Frank Williams can inspire people from all walks of life.

I went into this expecting to learn more about the team 'Williams', but I found myself learning more about Frank, the man, and the family, than anything else, but don't misinterpret that as a bad thing.

I'm an avid F1 fan, I have been since the days of Michael Schumacher in a Benetton, but being of a relatively young age I didn't know an awful lot about the Williams team other than whom ran the time, who drove for them and that they were British.

The documentary touches on many insights into how the team came to form, struggles within the family and I think most importantly, the relationship between Frank and Ginny. It does a fantastic job of showing you enough of both sides to walk away from it with a much better knowledge of what it was like for everyone involved and it doesn't pretend to pull any punches.

There's comedic moments where Frank will recount something in such a blunt and unforgiving manner that you can't help but laugh but then there's moments where you feel great sadness for them.

It's beautifully shot and the score is excellent, I'd HIGHLY recommend this to motor sports fans, but I'd also recommend it to those who aren't, because it's a poignant reminder of struggle no matter who you are or where you're from.

9/10

One thing I learnt early on in this documentary was that Sir Frank Williams is from the north east and came from a poor working class background.

This documentary could have explored a lot of areas about the Williams racing team. How in the early 1990s they dominated Formula 1 but Frank Williams could or would not keep hold of his best drivers.

It was as if having the best car was enough for him and the driver's role was secondary.

Wisely it concentrated on Frank Williams the man, his early years in racing and then up to his accident with the immediate aftermath.

Williams is a great name in Formula One but the glory days are behind it. Frank Williams started out as a racer. A poor man living with posh Eton educated racers.

However although Frank loved speed he was not a skilled enough racer. He made money in spare parts, buying old racing cars, refurbishing them and selling them on, usually back to the people he bought it off from in the first place. In short he was a bit of a hustler.

Frank got enough money to start his own racing team in the late 1960s but he did not have enough money to keep it going. His cheques usually bounced.

His first racing driver Piers Courage died in 1970 at the Dutch Grand Prix. An incident that still haunts him even now.

Williams getting Patrick Head in his team in 1977 saw the team moving from making up the numbers to winners. They had the fastest car and won their first world driver's championship in 1980 with Alan Jones.

In the 1980s the Williams team cemented their status as one of top outfits in F1. They had some of the best drivers but in 1986, tragedy struck as Frank Williams ended up paralysed in a car accident in the south of France.

A traumatic time for the Williams racing team and his family. It was his wife Virginia who first had to fight to keep him alive and then keep him going so he could return to his team wheelchair bound.

It is clear in this documentary that like other F1 team owners. Frank Williams is a driven man with a narrow vision. He eats, breathes and lives for his team.

Family was a distant second. I think he preferred to go on a long run than spend times with his family. He wooed his wife Virginia who left her husband for him. After their wedding he went straight to work, there was no time for a celebratory lunch.

Virginia took her children to Spain for a holiday for 16 years, Frank did not accompany them once. You felt that this has caused issues with some of his children.

Even Virginia was upset that once the team became successful, Frank had his head turned by the beautiful women who hung around Formula 1.

Frank Williams shows few emotions and claims to have little regrets about the past and his accident which was his fault. I find that doubtful.

Now widowed he has little time for his family home. He still lives and breaths F1 even though the Williams team is a shadow of what it used to be.

This was a warts and all documentary. It was truthful up to a point. I did sense there were some family issues that were held back. Obviously I sensed Frank Williams was reluctantly to talk about the death of Ayrton Senna.