Williams F1 TEAM

WilliamsF1 TEAM is the name of a famous stable Britannique of Formule 1, based with Grove.

History

Birth of the stable

Frank Williams started has to make run of the cars in Formule 1 during the season 1969. But the Williams team such as it exists today was born only in 1977.

The first Williams stable was founded in 1966 pennies the name Frank Williams Racing Cars Ltd . At that time, Frank Williams prepares and engages of the frames Brabham in Formule 3 and Formule 2. Then, as from 1969, Williams engages of the cars in Formule 1: a Brabham BT26A in 1969, a De Tomaso 505 in 1970 as well as a March in 1971 and 1972.

In front of the mediocrity of the results accumulated since 1969, Frank Williams decides running 1972 to change strategy and becomes manufacturer with whole share. Thus in 1972 Polytoys FX3 is born, which will become Iso Marlboro FX3 in 1973. It is about first Williams even if it should be waited until 1975 so that Williams are baptized like such.

Always also desilvered, Williams accepts at the end of 1975 the catch of majority stake in the stable of the billionaire austro-Canadian Walter Wolf. In 1976, the team thus becomes Wolf-Williams and aligns the cars of the old stable of Lord Hesketh. But at the end of one only season, Walter Wolf pushes Frank Williams outside and repurchases the totality of the stable, which becomes Walter Wolf Racing in 1977.

At the beginning of 1977, Frank Williams founds a new stable in partnership with the young engineer Patrick Head. It is this new structure, baptized Williams Grand Prix Engineering , which perdure nowadays and communicates under the name WilliamsF1 .

Success in success

In 1977, by lack of time, the new Williams team can make another thing only engage March of the former season. But since 1978, the team finds her statute of manufacturer. Clay Regazzoni sign the first victory of the stable to the Grand Prix of Great Britain 1979, then Alan Jones gains the championship in 1980, imitated by Keke Rosberg in 1982.

In 1980 and 1981, the stable also takes down the title of the manufacturers.

To remain in top of the poster, Williams must be combined with a large manufacturer. It is the case with Honda in 1984. After some blows of glares this same year, in 1985, Keke Rosberg and Nigel Mansell carries each one two successes. The following year, Nelson Piquet joined the stable at the sides of Mansell, on Williams who is now the reference. But the two men do not get along, and their internal war will benefit the title from Alain Prost in 1986 in spite of a McLaren much less competitive. Nevertheless, the stable gains the title manufacturer, a relentless domination that does not even manage to disturb the road accident which leaves Frank Williams paralyzed, this same year.

In 1987 on the other hand, Nigel and Nelson do not have rivals, but they is in-house which them duel will prove to be most intense. Stake will make a thumb your nose with Frank Williams, will blow the title with Mansell, and will leave the stable, dissatisfied not to be clearly N°1 with the profit of Nigel. Moreover, Honda decided to motorize McLaren following divergences with Williams.

Frank thus lost its champion, and it must be folded back on the engine Judd in 1988 awaiting the engine Renault, difficult year brightened by two podiums of Nigel Mansell which will join Ferrari with the end of the year. The following year, Renault thus motorizes the stable, and during two years, Ricardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen truster the places of honors, and occasionally some victories go. In 1991 Nigel will return and fail of little vis-a-vis Ayrton Senna for the title, but the domination of the stable started, the following car (Williams-Renault FW14B) will be equipped with a technology very in advance on the other stables, and in 1992, Nigel will be world champion and Willams champion manufacturer.

Alain Prost will replace it for a one year come-back and will gain its last title in 1993 but the premature dispartion of Ayrton Senna which had signed with this team to replace Prost, will leave its team-member Damon Hill, pilot fast but relatively inexperienced, leader of the stable. It will not be able to take down the pilot title against Michael Schumacher on Benetton the two following years, even if the stable preserves its title manufacturer in 1994, thanks to the invaluable assistance of Nigel Mansell which will make a short return, and of the young person David Coulthard which will be, moreover, holder in 1995. Jacques Villeneuve will join Damon Hill in 1996. This same year, Damon Hill will take down finally the world crown, but for the 4th consecutive time, the champion in title leaves Williams with the end of the year. Jacques Villeneuve is thus propelled leader and it knows that it is an occasion not to miss, Renault and the engineer Adrian Newey having announced their departure. He and the Williams stable will be champions at the end of the year, offering a royal fence to Renault with their 6th consecutive sacring as a motor mechanic.

The downward slope

After one transitional period in 1998 (Villeneuve will leave the stable at the conclusion of this season) and 1999 during which Williams are motorized by the old engines Renault (rebadgés Mecachrome then Supertec, it acts of paying engines), a partnership is signed starting from 2000 with BMW Motorsport which is worth with the stable to be renamed “BMW WilliamsF1 TEAM”. However, as opposed to what much of people could believe, this collaboration with BMW was not accompanied by a change of the shareholding of the stable: as since 1977, Frank Williams remains owner to a total value of 70% and Patrick Head to a total value of 30%. This first season, placed under the sign of the revival, will prove to be promising since Williams finishes third of the Championship manufacturers. The arrival of Juan Pablo Montoya at the sides of Ralf Schumacher will launch one period of relative revival for the stable. Indeed, in 2001, if the stable remained in the 3rd place of the championship, it counted this time 4 victories. After a certain stagnation the following year (2nd of the championship manufacturer but only one victory with the meter) the stable seems best armed for 2003, their single-seater being certainly swiftest of the plate. In spite of 4 victories, following some pilot errors, of strategy, and a light reliability lack, the pilot titles and manufacturer will escape to them from little. In 2004, surprised, Williams with the aileron before revolutionist is presented, as a frightening weapon towards the sacring. But if it proves to be fast, it will remain unable to fight for the title and at the end of the season, the leaders will make back machine, presenting a more traditional frame. Besides for its last race in this stable, Montoya will gain the only victory of the season for Williams.

This failure quickly will generate sharp tensions between Williams and BMW. Running 2005, BMW announces its desire thus to separate from Williams by repurchasing the Swiss stable Sauber F1. This same year, the new pilots Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld will be able to bring back only some podiums, but more victory. On his side, Williams turns to the motor mechanic Cosworth for the purchase of engines for the season 2006.

Williams also changes pneumatic manufacturer in 2006, since Bridgestone provides the stable, instead of Michelin, which equipped the British team since 2001. But this season 2006 will be worst stable since 1977, with in all and for all 10 piled up points! Worse, more no podium. The pilots Webber Mark and the beginner Nico Rosberg which cannot mitigate their restive material, in particular a not very reliable engine. Thus, some blows of glares will quickly be fallen through by troubles of reliability.

Following this disastrous season, Williams changes motor mechanic, Toyota replaces Cosworth. Mark Webber, left to Red bulldozer Racing as for him is replaced by the Austrian Alexander Wurz, hitherto test pilot. Even if FW29 strongly resembles FW28, its reliability and its test results during February contrast with the preceding car. Results confirmed during first half of season, Nico Rosberg rising almost always in the last part of the qualifications and garnering several encouraging points. As for Alexander Wurz, its results suffer from the comparison with those of its team-member, but he arrives all the same to empocher a third place with the GP of Canada, the first podium of the stable since 35 tests.

Pilots

Before the creation of Williams

Since the creation of Williams

Pilots world champions on Williams

External bond

  • Official site of Williams F1 TEAM

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