Williams send emotional 'happy birthday' wishes to Sir Frank

Williams has issued a heartfelt, emotional video message sending founder Sir Frank best wishes on the occasion of his 79th birthday.

It is the first time since Williams founded the team in 1977 that he is not in charge of the Grove-based marque on his birthday following its sale in September to American investment company Dorilton Capital.

But new CEO Jost Capito has written Williams a letter, accompanied by a voice-over from the German to a video showing numerous highlights of the team's illustrious history, initially expressing birthday wishes before outlining planned ambitions.

The letter reads: "Dear Sir Frank. I wanted to write you this letter on behalf of both myself and the whole Williams team, wishing you a very happy 79th birthday.

"I hope you have a fantastic day, and whilst we can't celebrate with you in person, please know that every single person at the factory in Grove, and those working trackside for this weekend's race, are sending you their very best,

"As a team, we are determined to carry on the incredible legacy that you, your family and many others helped build over so many years.

"The core values and beliefs that you have instilled in the team are integral to the journey that we are now on.

"The passion for racing. The courage to go our own way, to stand out from the crowd. To innovate and to be dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. To embrace honesty and fairness. To work together as a team to achieve our goals. These are the attributes that make Williams, Williams.

"And the name above the door will always remain the same. We move forward with that spirit and ambition as our motivation and aim to return the team to where it belongs - at the front of the grid.

"We will raise a glass to you this evening Sir Frank, as we know so many of our fans around the world will be doing.

"We look forward to spending many more birthdays with you, and having you join us at the race track once again at some point in the future.

"Yours, Jost."

Dear Sir Frank ? pic.twitter.com/pjrQDLSwf8

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) April 16, 2021

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 and FIA called out over major failure during chaotic Malaysia GP delay

• Yesterday 22:29

F1 star Oscar Piastri brands rival Fernando Alonso 'master of chaos'

• Yesterday 21:45

Christian Horner reveals extraordinary reason given for Red Bull sacking

• Yesterday 20:54

Helmut Marko hits out at 'shameful' F1 scenes after Malaysia failure

• Yesterday 19:44

Controversial F1 rule criticised by Max Verstappen helped him win Bahrain Grand Prix

• Yesterday 18:44

South Africa's F1 dream suffers devastating blow after Rwanda breakthrough

• Yesterday 17:27