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Williams Threatens Legal Action Over Customer Cars

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Williams threatens legal action over customer cars

29/1/2007

Frank Williams has reiterated his threat to launch arbitration proceedings against Toro Rosso and Super Aguri should they use customer chassis this year.

Toro Rosso is set to use a modified Red Bull RB3 fitted with a Ferrari engine this season, while Super Aguri will be running a copy of last year's Honda RA106.

Both teams believe they are within the sport's regulations as the chassis were made up a third-party contractor.

However, Williams is strongly objecting to the two minnow teams running these cars and claims he is ready to launch arbitration proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce in Lausanne to challenge the legality of the cars.

"I am adamantly opposed to chassis sharing and we at Williams do not believe it is legal under the current rules," he told The Guardian.

"We are what you might call a traditionalist racing team which believes that we are out there competing for two World Championships, one for the best driver in the world and one for the constructor who builds the best car in the world.

"As far as I'm concerned it is absolutely in the regulations in black and white that every team must make its own chassis."

However, Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger isn't at all concerned by Williams' threat.

"Williams or the other competitors are not the people who tell the FIA the rules, and we are not either," he told Autosport last week.

"At the end of the day the FIA or a judge has to do it. I am relaxed because there is nothing I can do about it anyway.

"We are doing what we are doing, we are doing what we believe is right to do, and it is not Williams who can tell us what is right or wrong."

Berger added: "I don't want to play the policeman. If Frank likes to play the policeman then fine, but maybe he should be the FIA president then or something."

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interesting, i wonder if frank is just bluffing because gerhard is certainly calling it if he is!

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This is rather good evidence that Frank Williams is not confident on the speed of their 2007 car as he is clearly worried that Toro Rosso will take points from Williams.

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This is rather good evidence that Frank Williams is not confident on the speed of their 2007 car as he is clearly worried that Toro Rosso will take points from Williams.

That's rubbish. All it is evidence of is that Frank Williams is very much a man of principal. The ruling does not come into affect until next year and he is very correct to oppose it. Why should he invest time and money into his own chssis when there are other outfits copping out with there b#####d mongrel cars and making a mockery of the sport? It makes me infuriated.

We all know it won't happen Frank but i would love to see you wipe egg over the faces of Berger and Aguri.

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Though i generally don't like Mr. Williams I have to give credit where it is due. Thank you Frank, i hope you go through with it because once F1 has customer chassis then its just one step closer to becoming NASCAR

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This has potential to grow into something massive at the Australian GP in March. I hope for the sake of the sport that Bernie and Max can sort this bloody mess out so everyone knows exactly where they stand on the issue. Otherwise Formula One will be made out to look as silly it did at Indy in 05, and that's certainly something we don't want or need.

Simple message: SORT THE SH!T OUT ASAP :angry:

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This has potential to grow into something massive at the Australian GP in March. I hope for the sake of the sport that Bernie and Max can sort this bloody mess out so everyone knows exactly where they stand on the issue. Otherwise Formula One will be made out to look as silly it did at Indy in 05, and that's certainly something we don't want or need.

Simple message: SORT THE SH!T OUT ASAP :angry:

Amen to that.

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This has potential to grow into something massive at the Australian GP in March. I hope for the sake of the sport that Bernie and Max can sort this bloody mess out so everyone knows exactly where they stand on the issue. Otherwise Formula One will be made out to look as silly it did at Indy in 05, and that's certainly something we don't want or need.

Simple message: SORT THE SH!T OUT ASAP :angry:

Yeah, you tell em aus !!! :D

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This article truly shows the extent to which Williams are now merely a mid to rear end fixture of the pack.

Who would have though we would see the day Williams were worrying about the challenge from Super Aguri!

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This has potential to grow into something massive at the Australian GP in March. I hope for the sake of the sport that Bernie and Max can sort this bloody mess out so everyone knows exactly where they stand on the issue. Otherwise Formula One will be made out to look as silly it did at Indy in 05, and that's certainly something we don't want or need.

Simple message: SORT THE SH!T OUT ASAP :angry:

agreed - spyker would obviously oppose too, not sure about toyota as i doubt their engine deal has a political commitment. however i wonder if any of the other teams would join him?

i wouldn't be too fussed if williams and spyker don't start in oz :lol: just kidding :lol:

aussief1's got the point, f1 would look mighty stupid if this was to to remain unresolved, or worse get out of hand and disrupt actual races.

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This is rather good evidence that Frank Williams is not confident on the speed of their 2007 car as he is clearly worried that Toro Rosso will take points from Williams.

true - last year must have really lowered his confidence.

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This article truly shows the extent to which Williams are now merely a mid to rear end fixture of the pack.

Who would have though we would see the day Williams were worrying about the challenge from Super Aguri!

I have been repeating this over and over, its Williams, don't rule them out yet. it would take more than 2 bad seasons to kill that team. Wait till the first race to make the call...

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I have been repeating this over and over, its Williams, don't rule them out yet. it would take more than 2 bad seasons to kill that team. Wait till the first race to make the call...

But like Ykick has said, the fact he's taking the effort to worry about the F1 minors shows who he sees as compitition in 2007.

Also, lets be honest, the Toyota Manufacture team is cr@p and could only finish 6th in 2006, getting Toyota engines at Williams isnt going to turn them into a great team!

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By the way, Welcome to TF1 MasterPlans!!!

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Frank is a legend. I agree with his comments. I dont understand why Red Bull needs 2 teams anyway. I really really hope williams has a good year, but i'm not optimistic. Especially with their driver line-up

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But like Ykick has said, the fact he's taking the effort to worry about the F1 minors shows who he sees as compitition in 2007.

Also, lets be honest, the Toyota Manufacture team is cr@p and could only finish 6th in 2006, getting Toyota engines at Williams isnt going to turn them into a great team!

its obvious that williams don't consider themselves to be front runners now so its even more frustrating for them to see these mom and pop F1 teams getting first rate chassis where the close to 600 people at Williams have to take bumpy route and engineer their car from scratch. And rightly so, In the spirit of true competition you have to compete with your car, not with your money and contacts. To see STR a team with some 150 people potentially outpace Williams would make anyone angry, and Frank Williams should be livid to see that....

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This article truly shows the extent to which Williams are now merely a mid to rear end fixture of the pack.

Who would have though we would see the day Williams were worrying about the challenge from Super Aguri!

No one can disagree with that, it's a fact that Williams are sliding down the pack. To use this as evidence as to why Frank is creating a hoo-ha though is to miss the point. It's about what's right and wrong. In my opinion, the actions of Super Aguri and STR are wrong.

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Yeah, I sure hope Gerhard knows what he's doing. lol

I think that the 'Chassis borrowing' is a good thing for the fans so i'm not complaing.

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Other teams will soon join Williams & Spyker in calling foul play when they start seeing in testing that for example that the RB3 or the times set by the RA106 last year are indeed faster than what their new car can do in the early parts of the season.

Many other team principals will be watching Red Bull and Honda very very closely over the next month.

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Listen guys it's a bit confusing , I agree with Mr.Williams and i disagree him ...

I Agree with him because we don't wana see identical cars anymore in F1 like Toro Rosso using RB3 but Ferrari powered and it will be more like IRL :P he is right we should see something new .... but i blame him also and some other runners look what they have done when last Year's STR1 was powered by a V10 and look what results they got ! 1 point they got it by fault :P they couldn't upgrade or modify the V10 i mean it was freezed they used the same engine since the start and to the end of the season so once again i hope they are wrong :P

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f1 is much better with 11 seperate teams building their own chassis, like back in say, 1997, or probably more recent than that, 00/01. We have to accept that manufacturers are part of the sport now and have taken over, but i definately dont agree with using identical chassis

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Yeah, I sure hope Gerhard knows what he's doing. lol

I think that the 'Chassis borrowing' is a good thing for the fans so i'm not complaing.

Yeah, I much prefer a field of 22 over a field of 18... More action, more racing!

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Yeah, I much prefer a field of 22 over a field of 18... More action, more racing!

Aren't you the same guy who is vehemently against FIA favouring Ferrari as it dampens the racing spirit? Now imagine one manufacturer that directly or indirectly controls 4 cars and, uses team orders on three of them to support one championship contender? this is the problem with manufacturer backed chassis sharing....don't be a fair weather fan my forum friend.

I rather see a Williams try hard and blow up than see a parade of 4 mercedes, 4 Hondas, 4 ferraris and 4 Renaults etc.

If customer chassis become a norm then every manufacturer will be forced to provide competitive chassis and engines to the smaller teams to stay competitive, Mclaren will buy prodrive, Ferrari with buy Spyker and with Redbull and Honda already having 4 cars each, 16 out of the 24 cars in 2008 will be controlled by Ron Dennis, Horner, Jean Todt and Nick Fry....

where is the fun in that?

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The current rules do not allow customer cars. End of story. Frank is right in that respect. But he would also do well to remember a young chap who bought an old Brabham to go F1 racing. And then a couple of March's. and then a Wolf. He certainly didn't design or build any of them. His name was Frank Williams.

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The current rules do not allow customer cars. End of story. Frank is right in that respect. But he would also do well to remember a young chap who bought an old Brabham to go F1 racing. And then a couple of March's. and then a Wolf. He certainly didn't design or build any of them. His name was Frank Williams.

What happened to Brabham Racing? They were a good team.

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