Williams F1

WilliamsF1 (formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering) was founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head. They set up base in a small industrial unit at Station Road in Didcot, Oxfordshire, and with a staff of only 17 set about the task of preparing to enter into competition in Formula One.

By the start of the 1978 season, the first Patrick Head-designed Formula One car, the FW06, was ready and Frank had found sponsorship to tempt the Australian, Alan Jones, to join the team. From that point, the team never looked back, for the FW06 in the hands of Jones was extremely competitive.

In 1979 Jones continued as team leader with Clay Regazzoni in a second car. The team had really arrived at the British Grand Prix in 1979 when, after Jones disappointingly retired from the lead, Regazzoni was able to drive to victory - the first ever for Frank Williams. The trend was to continue as Jones won four of the six remaining races that year.

Four times Constructors World Champion during the 1980s
The team emerged in the 1980s as the one to beat and a reliability record unequalled by any other helped them to sweep to unchallenged and crushing victories in the Constructors' Championships of 1980, 1981, 1986 and 1987.

In 1982 the team aimed to become the first manufacturer to win the Constructors' title for a third consecutive year. It wasn't to be but newly-signed Finn, Keke Rosberg, who replaced the retiring Jones, won a close fought Drivers' World Championship.

Grand Prix racing's normally aspirated era was coming to an end and in 1983 it proved an uphill struggle, although Rosberg did win in great style at Monaco. Frank then announced a new association with Honda and the Anglo-Japanese turbo combination first appeared at Kyalami in South Africa.

In 1984 the team was on a "learning curve" with turbo cars but the season was highlighted by Rosberg's Dallas win. The team also moved into a superb new custom-built racing facility just a mile from their original home at Didcot.

1985 - Wins with Honda, Rosberg and Mansell
In 1985 the team had a new colourful image; Keke Rosberg had a new team-mate in Nigel Mansell; and the car, the Honda powered FW10, had an all-new carbon fibre chassis. The season started slowly but reached new heights as the two drivers climbed to the top of the victory podium no less than four times. Rosberg won the USA East Grand Prix, Mansell's two consecutive wins at Brands Hatch and Kyalami were particularly sweet as they were his first in Formula One and Rosberg's victory in Australia ensured a team hat- trick to round off the season.

Just prior to the start of the 1986 season, the team was dealt a severe blow. Whilst driving away from pre-season testing at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, Frank Williams' car left the road and overturned. It was an accident that left him confined to a wheelchair and so nearly claimed his life but, instead of bemoaning his fate, he fought his way back to lead the company in the only way he knew how. New to the team in 1986 was Brazilian former World Champion, Nelson Piquet, a worthy replacement for Keke Rosberg. He quickly adapted to the FW11 and took the new car to victory in the debut race in Brazil. The team went on to win nine Grands Prix in 1986 and secured the prestigious Constructors' World Championship.

Constructor and Driver titles in 1987
Success continued in 1987 with the team winning nine races again (six by Mansell, three by Piquet) with the modified FW11. This time they made sure of not only the Constructors' but also the Drivers' Championship, with Piquet taking his third title and Mansell runner-up for the second consecutive year.

For 1988 there were many changes. Mansell had a new team-mate in the vastly experienced Italian, Riccardo Patrese. Also the four year association with Honda ended and the team used the normally aspirated 3.5 litre Judd engine in the FW12. Unfortunately mechanical problems dogged the team's efforts during the year but despite this Mansell finished second at both Silverstone and Jerez, with Patrese achieving his season best with a fourth in Adelaide.

The partnership with Renault from 1989 onwards
Frank was aware that to win in the new era of Formula One, with everyone now running normally aspirated engines, backing was needed from a major motor manufacturer. This ambition was realised in July 1988 when the team signed a three-year deal with Renault for the supply of their new V10 engines. The initial deal was for exclusivity only for 1989, but at the Canadian Grand Prix that year Renault announced that again in 1990 and subsequently 1991 also, the team would be the sole recipients of the engine.

Technical Director, Patrick Head designed the FW13 chassis specifically to house the new Renault engine and Belgian driver, Thierry Boutsen, joined the team in 1989, replacing Nigel Mansell and partnering Riccardo Patrese.

1990 got off to a good start with Boutsen third in his FW13B in Phoenix and then, at the third race of the year, the San Marino Grand Prix, there was a fairytale story with Patrese winning his third Grand Prix; his previous victory had been seven years earlier. Boutsen's turn came in Hungary where he claimed his first ever pole position and went on to win an impressive green light to chequered flag victory. These two wins and several other podium placings meant at the end of the season the team finished fourth in the Constructors' World Championship

Mansell returns and breaks records
Halfway through the 1990 season Nigel Mansell, who subsequently won 28 Grands Prix, announced his retirement after a disappointing British Grand Prix whilst driving for Ferrari. Frank Williams persuaded him to change his mind and he re-signed for the team for whom he would win more Grands Prix than any other driver. Mansell had his first taste of the FW13B at the Estoril track on 20 November 1990, and then eagerly awaited the completion of the new FW14, the latest offering from Patrick Head (who by now also had Adrian Newey on his design team) with a brand new Renault RS3 engine and a semi-automatic gearbox

The 1991 Canon backed team proved a winning combination, with Mansell scoring five and Patrese two victories. The team proved the only real competition to McLaren and were runners-up to them in both the Constructors' and Drivers' World Championships, with Mansell and Patrese second and third respectively in the latter.

The tide turned in 1992. At the first race in South Africa, Mansell and Patrese finished first and second with the FW14B fitted with active suspension. This chassis remains today as probably the most sophisticated racing car ever built.

And so began a winning streak for Mansell, who became the first driver to win the opening five races of a season. His record breaking did not stop there and he became the first driver to win nine races in one season and to be on pole 14 times.

When Mansell came second in Hungary he clinched the Drivers' World Championship, the first British driver to do so since James Hunt in 1976. In Belgium, WilliamsF1 and Renault took the Constructors' title, the first ever for Renault, and to end the winning year Patrese finished runner-up to Mansell for the Drivers' crown.

The fifth Constructors' title with Prost and Hill
For 1993 it was all change in the driver line-up, with French three-time World Champion, Alain Prost, and official test driver, Damon Hill, taking over from Mansell and Patrese. They carried on where Mansell and Patrese left off, retaining the Constructors' title, while Prost clinched his fourth drivers' title and Hill won his first Grand Prix in Hungary. Soon after clinching the title Prost decided to make the '93 season his last in competitive racing, leaving the door open for three-times World Champion, Ayrton Senna, to join the team. So the 1994 championship battle started with the new look Rothmans Williams Renault team and drivers, Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill, ably supported by new official test driver, David Coulthard

Imola 1994
During the third Grand Prix of the year at Imola in Italy, Ayrton Senna was killed while leading the race when his car left the circuit at the notorious Tamburello corner and crashed into a concrete wall. The world of motor racing was stunned and the close-knit Team was shattered by the tragic death of the driver who many people regarded as simply the best.

The fight back of the team typified the bravery and leadership of Frank. As a mark of respect only one car was entered for the next race in Monaco and then four weeks after that tragic day in Imola, Hill won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and promptly dedicated his victory to both Ayrton and the team.

For this race Hill was partnered by David Coulthard, who drove car No. 2 for eight of the remaining races. For the other four races in France, Spain, Japan and Australia, Nigel Mansell came back from the USA, where he was racing in the Indy Car series. After the win in Barcelona, Hill scored another five victories but lost the championship by a single point to Michael Schumacher following a controversial collision at the last race in Adelaide, which was eventually won by Mansell. In such a tragic year it was testimony to the strength of the team that they retained the Constructors' World Championship, to close a season that will never be forgotten

For 1995 it was Hill and Coulthard who drove for the team and between them notched up five victories in the FW17, with the young Scot taking his first Grand Prix win in Portugal. Hill was the only driver to challenge Schumacher for the drivers' title, but had to accept defeat when the German won the title for the second year at the Pacific Grand Prix in Aida. Although losing both titles was a disappointment, Hill made sure the team went out on a high with a fine win at the last race in Adelaide.

The move from Didcot to Grove
By 1995 the Didcot HQ was rapidly becoming too small to house the team. A search for a new base was made and midway through 1995 the ideal place was found 10 miles from Didcot at Grove. Over the '95/'96 winter the team moved with the final phase being the transportation of the wind tunnel over the weekend of the 1996 San Marino Grand Prix. The new Grove factory was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on Tuesday 29th October 1996.

Joining the team for 1996 was Jacques Villeneuve, 1995 Indy Car Champion and son of the late Gilles Villeneuve. The team had achieved good results during pre-season testing but it was not until the first race in Melbourne that the FW18's true potential was shown. New boy Jacques was the star of the show, claiming pole. With Damon second on the grid, the pair were over half a second quicker than the nearest opposition. They continued their domination in the race and eventually Damon won, with Jacques second after the Canadian had to slow down in the closing laps and relinquish his lead due to an oil pipe problem

Heading for more World Championships with Hill and Villeneuve
This success continued with Damon also winning in Brazil and Argentina and then Jacques winning his first ever Formula One Grand Prix, the European at the Nurburgring. The team went on to win 12 of the 16 races - Damon eight and Jacques four - and the Constructors' Championship was sewn up by the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Drivers' Championship was led from start to finish by Damon, with Jacques second, but was taken down to the wire with the final race in Suzuka seeing the title settled. Damon needed just one point to win and for Jacques it was a win or nothing. In the end Damon led the race from the lights to the chequered flag while Jacques was forced to retire. This was Damon's first and the team's sixth Drivers' World Championship.

1997 - a record breaking ninth Constructors' Title
German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen joined up the team in 1997 to partner Jacques. The season promised to be very competitive. The team fought hard but by mid-season still trailed championship-leaders Ferrari. There were celebrations at Silverstone with the 100th Grand Prix win at the scene of the very first victory 18 years previously. The famous WilliamsF1 determination had kicked in and by round 14, the Austrian Grand Prix, the team was back at the top of the championship table where it would stay. A record-breaking ninth Constructors' World Championship was sealed at the Japanese Grand Prix. An emotional World Championship victory for Jacques in the last race at Jerez sealed the delight of the entire team

A change of image in 1998 co-incided with a change of fortune. The competition had shifted up a gear and by the first Grand Prix in Australia it looked like the McLaren team was going to walk away with the World Championships. A mass of new regulations in 1998 had presented all the teams with many new challenges including a reduction in the width of the car from two metres to 1.8 metres, more stringent crash testing and grooved tyres. McLaren had adapted best to the changes and the rest of the field was left to play 'catch-up'. WilliamsF1 had said goodbye to Renault in 1997 after a tremendously successful partnership that brought nine championship titles to the two companies

The team continued to race with Mecachrome/Supertec engines before new technical partner, BMW, made its return to compete in Formula One racing in 2000. Without a works engine partner, the team had a hard fight on its hands to compete with the dominant McLaren and the hard charging Ferrari team. By the close of the season, it was McLaren and Ferrari challenging for the Championships whilst the "Winfield WilliamsF1 Team" found itself in the fight for third place. Continual developments to the FW20 gave the team the push it needed and third place in the Constructors' Championship was duly secured. 1999 looked set to be another tough year for the team but there would be a few changes

A completely new driver line-up brought reigning CART Champion Alex Zanardi and Ralf Schumacher to the team in 1999. Zanardi had a difficult season. Coming from the CART series to the modern Formula One threw the Italian onto a very steep learning curve. The advent of grooved tyres and narrow track cars in 1998 had forced the drivers to change their technique to control these new machines. Zanardi had to catch up with the learning process fast.

Bad luck dogged his early season but the turning point came at the Belgian Grand Prix when he was finally on the pace. A strong performance at the next race in Italy looked like the tables were turning but further disappointments, ending with an electrical problem on the first lap of the last race in Japan, finished off a miserable season for the Italian...

1999 Ralf Schumacher within reach of his first GP victory
Schumacher though was to become the star of the year, putting in stunning performances, regularly scoring points and, at the European Grand Prix, his finest moment almost came but he was robbed of victory by a puncture. His strong racing skills earned him sixth position in the Drivers' World Championship and fifth place in the Constructors' Championship for the team.

With the start of the new millennium, a new era began for WilliamsF1. After almost two years of backstage work, BMW returned to the Formula One arena with the WilliamsF1 team. The partnership, planned for five years, got off to a very promising start in 2000 with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team taking third place in the Formula One Constructors' World Championship.