And Colossally That's History: How Frank Williams survived (and his team thrived) in 1986
The Race F1 Podcast
The Race Media Ltd
4.5 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 April 2025
⏱️ 65 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, Williams are a mainstay on the Formula 1 grid and one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history, having amassed nine constructors’ world championships, seven drivers’ world championships, and 114 grand prix victories. But it all could have been so different.
Ahead of the 1986 season, team boss Frank Williams had a devastating car crash which left him paralysed and fighting for his life. That he survived and that his team would go on to win the constructors' title that very same year is one of the great F1 stories - and it's reappraised in fascinating detail by Matt Bishop and Richard Williams in the latest episode of And Colossally That's History.
They discuss how, after years of struggle, Frank Williams and his eponymous team were arguably in their best ever shape heading into 1986, and how Frank's accident in France threatened to undo all that hard work.Â
Richard and Matt also explain in poignant detail Frank's incredible survival and recovery, and the absolutely pivotal role his wife Ginny played in keeping him - and by extension his beloved team - alive.
They also outline the incredible ups and downs that played out on-track in 1986, in parallel to Frank's personal rollercoaster, looking in particular at the increasingly bitter intra-team rivalry at Williams between Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, which culminated in dramatic fashion in Australia.
And no episode of Colossally would be complete without some incredible personal anecdotes and impressions thrown in along the way!
- Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode at the end of Season 3, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. So if you'd like to ask a question about Williams in '86, head to Patreon.com/therace
- Buy some Colossally merch! Visit The Race Shop
- Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
- Check out our latest videos on YouTube
A Race Media Production
Producer: Jonny Reynolds
With special thanks to Tim Silvey for studio support
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is an ad by Better Help. These days, it feels like there's advice for everything, cold plunges, |
| 0:06.6 | gratitude journals, screen detoxes, but how do you know what actually works for you? With the |
| 0:11.8 | internet and information overload about mental health and wellness, it can be a struggle to know |
| 0:16.4 | what's true and what actions to take these days. Using trusted resources and talking to live |
| 0:21.5 | therapists can get you personalized recommendations and help you break through the noise. |
| 0:27.1 | BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform having served over 5 million people |
| 0:32.1 | globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million |
| 0:39.4 | client reviews. It's convenient too. You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button, |
| 0:44.9 | helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus switch therapists at any time. As the largest |
| 0:51.6 | online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. |
| 0:59.3 | Talk it out with BetterHelp. |
| 1:01.5 | Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com slash the race. |
| 1:07.3 | That's BetterHELP.com slash the race. |
| 1:14.9 | The Athletic |
| 1:16.6 | Hello and welcome to and colossally that's history, the podcast that re-appraises motor racing history. |
| 1:30.7 | I'm Matt Bishop and I'm joined in the studio by my good friend Richard Williams. |
| 1:35.8 | How's it going, Richard? |
| 1:36.9 | It's going very well, thanks Matt. |
| 1:38.6 | And I'm happy to be back in the studio talking this time, not about Enso Ferrari, as we did on our first two episodes of |
| 1:46.1 | season three, but about another titan of the Formula One grid, Frank Williams. I say we're |
| 1:52.1 | going to chat about Frank Williams. Actually, this episode is not about Frank's life story as such, |
| 1:57.4 | but about one of the defining years of his life, 1986. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Race Media Ltd, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Race Media Ltd and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.