22 replies to this topic

[Formula Once]

It is with great sadness that we inform you that our dear friend Jonathan Williams passed away.

 

He was a great driver and an even greater and lovely and kind man, and a true free spirit who followed the sun and so very much enjoyed life his way, a captivating life during which he reached the very top of motor racing and, more importantly, won the hearts of the many people he met along the way.

 

We will cherish the privilege of having enjoyed his friendship.

So sorry he's gone, so thankful to have known him.

Mark Koense

[Macca]

That is dreadfully sad news................he was no great age, I believe.

 

RIP Jonathino.

 

 

Paul M

[wsp77]

Sad news indeed

[Giraffe]

RIP Jonathan Williams, who would have been 72 on the 26th of October. Apart from his one GP start for Ferrari, he won the Rhine Cup in F2 for Frank Williams & helped with the driving in the film "Le Mans"

[Nemo1965]

Sad news. He has been writing recently articles for the Dutch magazine RTL GP, about - amongst other things - his one chance with Ferrari in the Mexican Grand Prix. Modest, greatly detailed story's. I will miss them and therefore miss him.

 

71 is not really old, but for a racing driver...

 

Rest in peace.

[HEROS]

Very sad news.

 

He was my friend and I remember him as a nice guy.

 

Too sad.

 

RIP.

[Michael Ferner]

RIP

[GMiranda]

RIP, such sad news

[adamcooperf1]

I've shared a few thoughts here on Jonathan, a lovely man and a great friend

 

http://adamcooperf1....iams-1942-2014/

[jj2728]

Sad news indeed.

RIP

[ddmichael]

This really is sad news - no exaggeration to say that Jonathan was one of the most prominent drivers of his era, certainly on the continent. I had actually planned to contact him for a piece on the European F3 scene, as there was surely nobody else with his level of experience and likely his number of stories. Thanks to Adam Cooper for an excellent tribute - I'm genuinely sad never to have made his acquaintance.

 

R.I.P.

[Richard Jenkins]

Goodness me, what a tremendous shock. Very intelligent, cultured man and a driver who was vastly under rated

[GMiranda]

This really is sad news - no exaggeration to say that Jonathan was one of the most prominent drivers of his era, certainly on the continent. I had actually planned to contact him for a piece on the European F3 scene, as there was surely nobody else with his level of experience and likely his number of stories. Thanks to Adam Cooper for an excellent tribute - I'm genuinely sad never to have made his acquaintance.

 

R.I.P.

 

I make your words mine, as I also expected to contact him soon, sadly

[Alan Cox]

Very sad to hear this news. I had just been working my way through his most recent piece in Mark's magazine, RTL GP (Dutch doesn't come too easily to me!), and as Nemo indicates, they have all been interesting insights into a world of racing now long past.

A superbly-crafted piece by Adam Cooper, too. Thank you.

[charles r]

Very sad to hear this news.

RIP.

[klemcoll]

A lovely guy and a truly sweet man. A really good driver, but perhaps not "driven" enough to have had a great career. But he sure knew his way around racing. He was also a wonderful writer as many have mentioned here. Goodbye old friend...

[Parkesi]

This is VERY sad. I had the good fortune to meet this modern type of Diogenes in September 2009 in Spain and we spend a whole weekend together watching the Singapore GP on TV and walking to the little habour of Estepona to have coffee. When I asked him if anybody here knew that he was a former Ferrari Formula 1 driver he said: "No, why should they?" A more modest man you will not find. Just JJW and his old Camper...

[Doug Nye]

Since condolences to JW's family and many friends.  I remember him best in his Lotus 7, 22 and 23 before he took himself off to Italy, eventually to Ferrari, Abarth and the Etceterini, and then into the clouds as a most proficient pilot.  

 

DCN

[Gabrci]

I'm really sad to read this, I was in contact with him a few times, the last being about a year and a half ago. He always insisted on me calling him Jonathan because "Mr. Williams makes me feel old". He was a really thoroughly nice and friendly man and it was such a nasty surprise to read this in the morning. RIP

[Graham Gauld]

Jane and I were just saying we had not heard from him as he usually turned up on the doorstep for a chat and a laugh. Absoolutely charming and unassuming man who tende d to downplay most things in his life. My favourite story was the time he shared a house with Piers courage, Charlie Lucas and Frank Williams. He explained that One morning at breakfast they bet Frank he would not stip off his clothes run to the bottom of the garden and moon the commuters passing in the train. Frank had his clothes off and ran down and of course Jonathan locked the back door and left a frank there !!!
We will all miss him.He deserved more out of racing

[Keir]

He did get his moment in F1. More than most of us can say.

[jeffbee]

I was on holiday until recently and didn't know anything about Jonathan Williams' passing until I picked up my copy of Motor Sport yesterday.  I always thought of him as someone that could have achieved so much more if (that word!) things had worked out differently.

 

I seem to recall him being responsible for the comment "There isn't much in life that matters much, and the rest doesn't matter at all."  There's a photograph knocking around of JW and Chris Amon at a Ferrari test day with bottles of wine etc on the pit counter.  Different days!!

 

At the time of his one and only grand Prix in 68 the bovine excrement that we all take for granted now was just starting to creep in.  I suspect he would have struggled with the politics and silliness if he had stayed at the top level.

 

A gentleman.  

 

R I P. 

 

[Gabrci]

I just remembered an e-mail correspondance I had with this thoroughly nice man in December 2012 and this is what he said:

 

"I have been invited to drive the Dino next year at the Vernasca Silver Flag by the new owner, an Austrian. I'm looking forward to that. I haven't been able to find out if Vittorio Venturi is still alive."

 

I looked up the info on this very forum and replied to him:  "I didn’t know either, so I’ve looked into it and I regret to tell you that he passed away in July 2007, aged 71." I remember hesitating whether I should write "only 71" because he had just turned 70 then but at the end I decided to stick to the facts. I'm very said that we lost him at only 71 as well.