Earlier this month, OAD members were privileged to visit the home of Williams F1 Racing for a presentation on the work of the organisation and a tour of their historic collection of motor racing memorabilia.

Chief Observer, Geoff Ayres, reports:

At Grove, just north of Wantage, we were waved through the main gate of the fabled home of Williams F1, where our host, OAD member Jeremy Taylor, explained how the technology used in the F1 racing cars is repurposed by Williams for many diverse uses outside the world of motor racing.  These range from the design of lightweight baby incubators to clever deflectors that control the flow of cold air for supermarket refrigerator cabinets to keep the air in the cabinet and not on the customers!  For me, with a background in public transport, most amazing is the way pit stop knowledge and technology is used by TfL to ensure maintenance work on the tube can be completed between the last train at night and first train the next morning.

Our guide, Simon, then took over for the most exciting part of the evening: the actual F1 cars.  We strolled through the Hall of Fame where former drivers’ helmets are displayed in cabinets glowing with subdued lighting.  Mansell… Hill… - they were all there.  It was pure petrol-head heaven!  Next was a vast display arena of the F1 cars, past to present.  All the cars on display were in pristine condition.  Apparently, the life of a racing car from design concept to being on display here is a mere eighteen months!

A thoroughly enjoyable evening and a wonderful group event.