From the Pulpit

Although Williams scored no world championship points in Malaysia, they made their point in no uncertain terms. Especially on medium tyres (i.e., the softer of the two Sepang options), particularly in the first half of the race, Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz were faster than all bar the McLaren and Ferrari drivers. And, after the race, technical director Sam Michael hinted that the FW29 might be better still, relative to its opposition, in Bahrain.

Don't forget that even the unloved FW28 was sensational in Bahrain last year, especially in the hands of Rosberg, who, in his first ever Grand Prix, carved fastest lap and no fewer than 19 of the fastest 50 laps driven by anyone on that scorching afternoon in the Bahraini desert.

Wurz, too, is always very good around the geometric curves of Sakhir. In 2005, when he was sharing 'man Friday' duties at McLaren with Pedro de la Rosa, he missed Australia and Malaysia while the Woking lads enlarged the MP4-20's ultra-snug cockpit to accommodate his 6ft2in (1m86) frame.

Alex Wurz (McLaren MP4-20 Mercedes) during practice for the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix © LAT

So he made his 2005 'man Friday' debut in Bahrain. Even after the team had done their fettling, he wasn't able to apply full lock without taking one hand off the steering wheel, so little elbow room did he have available. And what was the result? P1, that's what.

He finished fastest courtesy of a beautifully driven lap that was on a par with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's in fuel-corrected terms, and quicker than other team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya's in fuel-corrected terms. Oh... and it was the first time Alex had ever driven either the Sakhir circuit or the MP4-20 car!

And after Nico's brilliant showing last weekend at Sepang - which would have resulted in sixth place but for a loss of water pressure that ended his race 13 laps from the finish - and Alex's electric recovery drive from P19 on the grid (the result of a gearbox problem on his quali-lap) to P13 by lap eight and P9 at the finish (the result of seven brilliant overtaking manoeuvres) both Williams's drivers are ready to attack at Sakhir with banzai ambition and assurance. It'll be good to see.

Even so, the heritage of Williams Grand Prix Engineering consists of a lot more than battling charges from the back of the grid and solid runs from P6 on the grid to P6 at the flag (or 13 laps from the flag). No, WGPE made its name by winning Grands Prix and world championships, loads of 'em. Neither Frank Williams nor Patrick Head, nor Sam Michael nor anyone else at Grove, will sleep easy until such glory days return. Well, that's what they say, anyway, and rightly so.

But will such glory days return? In 21st century Formula One, when the likes of Mercedes-Benz (i.e., DaimlerChrysler), Ferrari (i.e., Phillip Morris), BMW, Honda and Toyota are prepared to spend US$300-400 million every year on F1, Williams's estimated annual spend of US$150 million looks a tad puny. Yes, there are still hundreds of expert, experienced and extremely hard-working folk at Grove, and dozens of brilliant brains. But money talks in F1; money makes cars go faster (Honda apart, obviously).

What, then, should Frank do? Well, here's what I reckon.

I firmly believe Williams are going the right way and doing the right things; I ardently respect Frank, Patrick and Sam; I hold their workforce in very high esteem; I rate Nico and Alex extremely highly.

But, to compete with Ferrari and McLaren, which is what Williams have always done and must do again, more is required - and, specifically, more of two things: (1) more money, and (2) a more understandable and credible succession strategy for a time after Frank and Patrick are no longer in charge.

The team's fresh-faced CEO, Adam Parr, is too new to appraise, quite frankly. Will Parr successfully build on the achievements of his predecessor, Chris Chapple, himself not long in the job? We simply don't know. No-one does. Does Parr have what it takes to guide Williams to a position from which, sooner rather than later, they can compete on level terms with teams led by men of the stature and experience of Jean Todt and Ron Dennis and/or their appointed successors? Surely not - and, in truth, to expect it soon would be unreasonable. He has too much yet to learn.

And yet Williams don't have the finances to buy in a leader who, here and now, has the experience and stature of a Jean or a Ron, do they?

Oh, yes they do. Williams, or more specifically Frank Williams, have the finances, or rather the financial opportunity, to offer such a person something that Toyota or Honda or BMW or Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari never can; and that something is to tempt an established F1 big cheese of high quality to Grove via the offer of equity in Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

Ross Brawn © XPB/LAT

Frank owns 70 per cent of WGPE, Patrick 30 per cent. In order to retain 51 per cent of the company, Frank could therefore surrender (or sell, or both) 19 per cent of his 70 per cent and still control his beloved Team Willy. Indeed, if he wanted to, he could even relinquish more than 19 per cent - as long as the deal included a clause that stipulated that the new shareholder(s) must at all times align their voting rights with those of Frank.

How else do you imagine Ron Dennis manages still to rule Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes with an iron (no, make that chromed anthracite) fist - albeit in a Vodafone-red "chase your dreams" velvet glove, with a nod to Stuttgart and a bow to Bahrain - via ownership of a mere 15 per cent of the McLaren Group?

So whom, pray, might Frank be able to attract to a senior management role at Grove - to a team principal elect role at Grove, in effect - if he were to offer, say, 20 per cent of WGPE stock along with the statutory hefty retainer? The answer is obvious: Ross Brawn.

Yes, there were rumours breezing up and down the Sepang paddock to the effect that Brawn might join Honda as technical director for 2008, and I guess he just might if the money were sufficiently stratospheric. But, although Ross is exactly the kind of guy whom Honda need to drag them kicking and screaming out of their ongoing current nightmare, I doubt if he'd say yes.

Why not? Because he may well be offered the team principal's job at Ferrari for 2008, to replace Jean Todt (who, lest we forget, is now well into his seventh decade), and he may well already be well aware of that; it may indeed be one of the terms of his sabbatical.

And however many millions of yen Honda offer him, the technical directorship of Honda Racing F1 Team will never match the managing directorship of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, which is arguably the most prestigious job in the sport.

But the offer of equity in a team is a different matter - and, uniquely among teams who may be interested in his services, Williams could offer Ross exactly that.

And if Frank (and Patrick, too, perhaps) were to release further equity to a wealthy outsider - just as Ron and Mansour Ojjeh have each sold half their McLaren Group shareholdings to a holding company wholly owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain - then Williams Grand Prix Engineering, and therefore WilliamsF1, would once again have the monetary might, as well as the succession strategy, to take on Ferrari and McLaren - and win.

Frank and Patrick could then gradually retreat - just as, at McLaren, as sure as eggs are eggs, Ron will soon begin to step aside. And Ross would then take charge at Grove, ably supported by Sam, whose role, as Ross's technical director, wouldn't need to change.

There's good fishing down at nearby Marlow, too. Ross would love it. What I've described should happen, and I hope it does. If you're reading, Frank, you can tell me why it isn't a good idea in Bahrain!