GROVE, England -- The answer was, of course, an instant "yes."

The question had been if I wanted to join a small, select group of international Formula One journalist to have dinner with F1 legends Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head at the Williams team headquarters.

	Sir Frank Williams, right in wheel chair, won his first race as an F1 team boss in 1979.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Williams as an F1 constructor. Frank Williams entered F1 cars in the early 1970s, but they were customer cars, and it wasn't until 1977 that he and Technical Director Head formed Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

In 1978, the first Williams chassis was built. Called the FW06, it was powered by a Ford Cosworth V8 and driven by Alan Jones. The team's first victory came in 1979 and its first world championship followed a year later.

Since then, of course, WilliamsF1 -- as it is called today -- has become one the sport's powerhouses. In the past 25 years the team has won nine constructors championships, seven drivers championships, 108 races and 117 poles.

A chance to have dinner and chat with the two men who founded this dynasty was not to be passed up.

The evening started with a tour of Williams's private museum that features every single model and version of the team's F1 machines from the FW06 through last year's FW23. All, with the exception of the Honda-powered model years, are in working, running order. Several, including the 1980 championship-winning Williams Cosworth FW07C, appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England last week. The museum also features fascinating engineering displays that show how things such as hydraulic pumps and shock absorbers have become refined, lightened and smaller over the years.

There's a single 1990 Ferrari on display as well. Back in 1990, Jean Alesi managed to sign contracts with Tyrrell, Ferrari and Williams. He ended up going to Ferrari, and Williams received the Ferrari car as part of the settlement.

At dinner, a relaxed and convivial affair, the conversation was naturally about Formula One. What follows are excerpts of the chat with Williams and Head.

Frank on testing: "If I told you the figure (of what we spent), it would cause such a scandal that Max (Mosley, FIA president) would ban testing immediately. We do tens of thousands of kilometers each year."

Head on designing a modern F1 car: "The technical side is still interesting, but no one person has the influence they did back then (in the 1970s). We know so much about the cars that you don't come across some innovation that takes a second off the lap time."

Head on the good old days: "The cars were so simple that you couldn't work on them for more than three or four hours. We had much more contact with the countries we visited back then. This year, one of our new engineers visited Australia for the first time. He left the circuit at 2 a.m. each day. All he saw was the hotel and the circuit."

Frank on Juan Pablo Montoya: "America (Montoya's two seasons in CART) were good for him. A lot of the cockiness was gone."

Head on Ferrari: "They have done a beautiful job and made a fantastic car this year."

Frank on the FIA fining Ferrari $500,000 for not following the podium procedure after the Austrian Grand Prix: "Even for Ferrari half a million is a lot of dosh. It will hurt them."

Head on Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt: "My personal view is that Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher think that the end justifies the means, but really the means are even more important. Michael is a guy who wants to win at any cost."

Frank on team orders: "In 1986 (when Williams teammates Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell took points from each other and effectively handed the championship to McLaren's Alain Prost) we got a lot of grief for not giving team orders. You can't win."

Head on Schumacher: "I don't think that he will ever drive for us. He will be an ambassador for Ferrari."

Head on Montoya's physical fitness: "Going into the gym and running are not his favorite occupations."

Head on the team's first ever Grand Prix win, in England, in 1979: "I was more relieved than happy because we should have won about three races by then."

Head comparing the 1980 Williams FW07C with the 1987 Williams FW11: "The FW07 had an aluminum monocoque. The carbon fiber monocoque in FW11 was seven times stiffer."

Head on why Montoya seems to have more mechanical failures than teammate Ralf Schumacher: "I don't think Juan is any harder on the car than any other driver. He throws the car around, but that's only hard on the tires, not the car itself."

Head when asked if Ralf seems to be more relaxed and humorous this year: "I don't know if it is because he got married or became a dad ..."

Frank on Montoya: "He has phenomenal car control."

When Williams and Head set up the team in 1977 it numbered 17 people. These days WilliamsF1 has a staff of over 300 and that does not include those involved with BMW on the engine side.

Williams, Head, Montoya, Schumacher and the rest of the team will be back in action at this weekend's French Grand Prix where they will be attempting to add more laurels to the history of WilliamsF1.

Williams drivers have won the pole at the French Grand Prix eight times (with Ralf taking the most recent one last year) and won the event seven times (with Damon Hill scoring the last victory in 1996.)

Dan Knutson covers Formula One for National Speed Sport News.