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last update: October 24th 2008
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"...I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us are...
...very hard to explain why are mad, even if you're not mad..."
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- August 19th 2005 - The W-Day -
Visit at the Williams F1 Conference Centre
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London, 6,30am: wake up.
7,00am: Earl's Court tube station: we take the Piccadilly line.
7,40am: we arrive at Heathorw.
8,00am: Heathrow, terminal 2, waiting for the bus of the car hire company that will pick up us to take the car.
8,15am: the first bus arrived, but the driver says us that he is there only to leave passengers at the airport, not to pick up.
8,30am: another bus, but doesn't stop...
8,45am: finally the third bus pick up us.
8,55am: battle at the front desk of the car hire company. First round: my credit card is not accepted; second round: credit card and driving licence must be of the same person, so we give Katia's documents; third round: the employee says that Katia's driving licence is expired; we prove that she is wrong; fourth round: official complain for the 45 minutes wait at the airport (during reservation it ws ensured a bus every 10 minutes) and for the refusal of two drivers to pick up us into their buses; the employee disappear beyond the wall and return answering us that maybe we are in wrong because this kind of things cannot happen.
9,05am: choosing car... all Opel-Vauxall Corsa green (bathroom-green type), omly one grey. We choose the grey one, is not possible to arrive at the Williams F1 Factory with a bathroom-green car. Quick set-up into the car.
9,07am: car doesn't start... ignition doesn't work...
9,08am: a dramatic car change: we must take a green one, with a nice beer smell inside.
9,09am: inside the traffic of Heathrow: the meeting in Grove is at 10,30. Weather conditions: heavy rain.
9,15am: the windscreen wiper of driving side starts to give breaking off signals.
9,30am: I drive over 90mph on the M4 (50mph spped limit during rain, for a visit at the Williams F1 worth the effort take some risks with the british police...).
9,50am: M4 highway: the windscreen wiper definitivly breaking off, but it remains under the bonnet; all when I was in the overtake line; dramatic 3 lines pass under the rain to reach the emergency line.
9,52am: repairing done in F1 style; very quick restart.
10,15am: arriving in Grove.
10,16am: arriving at the Williams F1 Factory...
They open the bar and we come with the car into a temple, in a place where silence rules and where the previous problems suddenly become a far memory. We pass through the employees parking and we arrive into the parking for the Confernce Centre guests, the only part of Factory we can visit. In front of the entrance door, in the garden there is a lovely hedge-sculpture of a pit-stop; when we arrived it was under maintenance.
Then we go inside, we pass over the automatic glass door. In front of us, the FW26 of Juan Pablo Montoya with which the colombian driver has won the 2004 Brasilian Grand Prix. On the right side there is the front desk. Behind the car there is the door that introduces into the Champions' Gallery; between the front desk and the gallery there is a shop, open only at the end of tour. On the other side of the hall a corridor brings to the large room for breakfast and lunch and to the bar.
But coming back to the hall: over the Montoya's car there is the FW19 of Jacques Villeneuve, the last World Champion Williams F1. Around the car the is an U-terrace to see the FW19 more near; here we can find also a model of a car and a model of the Factory.
We come back into the large room for the buffet breakfast with tea and cookies, but with a terrific view of car parts on a table: a Renault engine, a nose, a wing flap, a couple of radiators, a disc brake with caliper, and the damaged front left triangle of the Damon Hill FW16 after the crash with Michael Schumacher in Adelaide 1994.
Breakfast is finished and Mark, our guide, invite us to come back at the reception. Here he talks about the team, the move to the Cosworth engines, and then he removes the steering wheel of the Montoya's car, talks about it a few seconds and then he gives it in our hands (a 30,000£ steering wheel...).
It's time for the Champions' Gallery, with an exhibition of photos of Frank, Patrick and all drivers become World Champion with Williams.
After the Gallery we come in a little theatre where we see a film about the story of Williams F1, from the beginning to the present; then a door open and we enter in a real temple...
The F1 car collection is divided in four sections based on the engine used. Each section is visitated singurarly with a short film about the history of those cars. We start viewing the Williams with Ford engine, then the Honda phase, Renault, and finally BMW. Once finished the BMW section all the lights of gallery are turned on so we can see everything and take some pictures. See all those cars, one nearby the other, one next the other, shows the F1 development in every part; an untold effect!!!
A particular aspect of this visit is the calm and the silence, like something unreal.
The next room is dedicated to the F1 tecnology: parts and boards show the functions of the main parts of the car. A box is transformed in a small-size wind gallery and is possible to see the wind moving on a car when follows another one.
It's time for the Trophy room, with many trophies but also drivers helmets.
Here the tour stopped for a while before lunch, Mark talks with guests and arrive our turn. Some words about Villeneuve, then we talk about present: the team is happy for the work done by Heidfeld, a bit disappointed by Webber; they are quite sure that Alonso will be the World Champion and McLaren will be the first in the Constructors Classification at the end of the season.
It's time for the buffet lunch, very very rich. A note about the plates: white with a blu stripe and the "Williams F1" logo; what a pity dirty them; the same for the mugs. During lunch, Mark update us about the friday free practice in Turkey, and on other papers there are the team declarations about the new partership with Cosworth.
Lunch is finished and we go to the shop. Products are the same of catalouges and web sites, but not for everything. In a window I see a rear spring and a wheel nut: I can't miss them, and I bring back home with the blue bag Williams F1". What a terrific shopping!!!
2,30pm: we leave the Conference Centre. Last pictures with the hedge-sculpture after the maintenance.
2,35pm: last pictures at the main entrace, and the guard makes some photos to us and give us two postcards of Heidfeld and Pizzonia.
2,40pm: we leave Grove... now we are very very sad...
Thanks to...
Katia, Daniela and Carlo, for the beautiful day and for the unforgettable holiday in London;
Mark, for guided us in the Conference Centre;
Kirsty, for the help and all informations during reservation phase;
All the Williams F1 staff, for the idea, the cordiality, and everything else.
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(Click on thumbnails to view the photos)
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Main entrance
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I want it!!!
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Who would not want to go to job walking on this kind of doormat ?
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Juan Pablo Montoya
FW26, GP of Brazil 2004
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Jacques Villeneuve
FW19, 1997
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FW26
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FW26, front wing
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FW26, rear tyre
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Hall of the Conference Centre
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Williams' car parts, in particoular: front left damage triangle, Damon Hill , GP of Australia 1994
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Other car parts shown
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Katia keeps the Montoya's steering wheel in her hands
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Williams Gallery: Ford phase
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Honda years
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First Renault years
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Other Williams Renault
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Rothmans years
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Red Williams (98, 99)
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BMW period
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FW16, Ayrton Senna
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Helmets of Hill, Coulthard and Villeneuve
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Two hearts and a pit-stop
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Shopping!!!
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| web site created by Chri |
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