Williams Formula 1

WilliamsF1, the trading name of Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd., is a Formula One (F1) motor racing team and constructor. The team won nine Constructor's titles between 1980 and 1997. The team was founded and run by Sir Frank... [more]

WilliamsF1, the trading name of Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd., is a Formula One (F1) motor racing team and constructor. The team won nine Constructor's titles between 1980 and 1997. The team was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. Its first race was the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix and Switzerland's Clay Regazzoni won Williams' first race at the 1979 British Grand Prix. At the 1997 British Grand Prix, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve won the team's 100th race, making Williams one of the "Big Three" teams in Formula One, alongside Ferrari and fellow British team McLaren. All of WilliamsF1 chassis are called "FW" then a number, the FW being the initials of team owner, Frank Williams.

The team was founded in 1977 after two earlier and, compared to WilliamsF1's achievements, unsuccessful F1 operations, Frank Williams Racing Cars and Walter Wolf Racing.

Many famous racing drivers have driven for Williams, including Finland's Keke Rosberg; Britain's Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill; France's Alain Prost and Brazil's Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. After Senna died in a Williams car, following a fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Frank Williams, Patrick Head and designer Adrian Newey, were all accused of manslaughter. The trial finally closed in 2005, when Williams, Head and Newey were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Williams have worked with many notable engine manufacturers, most successfully with Renault: Williams won five of their nine constructors' titles with the French company. -- source www.wikipedia.org