Williams F1 has "played down any suggestion that its deal with development driver Lance Stroll could be a precursor to his father Lawrence becoming a shareholder in the outfit," according to Jonathan Noble of MOTORSPORT. The fact that Stroll moved across from a position in Ferrari's junior driver program "prompted talk at the time that there could be a wider motive, potentially involving fashion entrepreneur Lawrence Stroll taking a stake in the outfit." But the team has "made it clear that there are no plans for any change in current shareholding -- and that the issue has never even been discussed with Stroll." Williams Group CEO Mike O'Driscoll said, "We have never talked to Lawrence about shareholding. We have a really strong shareholder structure today: Frank [Williams] with majority, Brad Hollinger (15 percent), Patrick Head who still owns 10 percent and then the rest free flow" (MOTORSPORT, 4/12).
LESSON LEARNED: REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams said that Formula One "learned a lesson from the qualifying fiasco that overshadowed the opening races of the season in Australia and Bahrain." She said, "I think that we have learned that we need to take more time to consider the proposals that come to us. You don't want to play out scenarios like that in the public arena. They should be done behind the scenes. I do think we've learned the lesson." Formula One started the season with a new elimination format that was "put to teams and accepted only weeks before the March 20 opener in Melbourne." The decision to revert, from this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, "was taken last week when teams rejected a compromise proposal." Williams "expressed relief at the outcome." Williams: "It's obviously what the fans want... it's certainly what our partners want" (REUTERS, 4/11).
