The Williams FW09 was a Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 car designed by Patrick Head

Patrick Head

Patrick Head , is co-founder and Engineering Director of the Williams Formula One team.For 25 years from Head was technical director at Williams Grand Prix Engineering, and responsible for many innovations within Formula One. Head oversaw the design and construction of Williams cars until May 2004...

 and Neil Oatley

Neil Oatley

Neil Oatley is currently Design and Development Director for the McLaren Formula One team.Graduating from Loughborough University in 1976 with an Automotive Engineering degree, Oatley worked briefly outside motor racing before joining the Williams team in 1977...

. It was the first Williams

WilliamsF1

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...

 chassis to be powered by a turbocharged Honda V6 engine

V6 engine

A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...

, which Frank Williams negotiated a deal for towards the end of and the beginning of the season. Honda was already supplying the small Spirit

Spirit (racing team)

Spirit Racing was a racing car constructor and racing team from Britain, who participated in 25 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix between and .Founded in 1981 by Gordon Coppuck and John Wickham, Spirit had a close relationship with Honda...

 team, but was enthusiastic about supplying Williams, who had the reigning World Champion Keke Rosberg

Keke Rosberg

Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...

 as lead driver. Williams had agreed to help develop the engine under Grand Prix

Grand Prix motor racing

Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...

 race conditions.

The chassis was built from aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

 with carbon fibre used at stress points and was based on the reasonably successful 1983 Williams FW08C

Williams FW08

The Williams FW08 was a Formula One car designed by Patrick Head which debuted at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix held at the Zolder circuit. An evolution of the FW07 that it replaced, the car was used by Finnish driver Keke Rosberg to win the 1982 World Drivers' Championship.The FW08B was a...

. The engine cover had to be redesigned as the car was powered by a smaller, but more powerful (by approximately 2-300hp) V6 engine rather than the Cosworth

Cosworth DFV

The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine...

 V8

V8 engine

A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....

 that powered the FW08C. The front of the car was also redesigned giving the car cleaner aerodynamics

Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...

. The FW09 was introduced at the South African Grand Prix

1983 South African Grand Prix

The 1983 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on October 15, 1983. It was the final race of the 1983 Formula One season....

, the last race of the 1983 season, which was nothing more than a shakedown exercise. Rosberg showed the potential of both car and engine by qualifying sixth and finishing in fifth place while team mate Jacques Laffite

Jacques Laffite

Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....

 started 10th but spun off under braking for Crowthorne Corner at the end of the long main straight on lap two, his car ending up in the tyre barrier and out of the race.

The car was then raced in the 1984 Formula One season

1984 Formula One season

The 1984 Formula One season was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1984 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1984 Fomula One World Championship for Manufacturers which were contested concurrently over a sixteen race series which commenced on March 25,...

 by Rosberg and team mate Laffite. Both drivers found the engine to their liking but not the chassis which suffered from the sudden bursts of power that the Honda gave, upsetting the balance of the car. Furthermore, the car body was found to produce a lot of drag at high speeds. Reliability was also a problem, with Laffite only recording five finishes during the whole season, but the basic speed was there with the Honda powered FW09 consistently among the fastest cars through the speeds traps on many tracks. Indeed both drivers recorded a top speed of 310km/h (192.6mph) in qualifying and the race at the 1984 South African Grand Prix

1984 South African Grand Prix

The 1984 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on April 7, 1984. It was the second round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*First point: Ayrton Senna...

. Rosberg had a more successful year than Laffite, managing to tame the car's unpredictable handling by winning the Dallas Grand Prix. It was Honda's first Grand Prix win since .

A modified version of the car called the FW09B was introduced at the 1984 British Grand Prix

1984 British Grand Prix

The 1984 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 22, 1984. It was the tenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.-Qualifying:...

. Unfortunately from that race until the end of the season both Rosberg and Laffite only recorded on finish each and neither was in the points. Laffite was 8th at the Dutch Grand Prix

1984 Dutch Grand Prix

The 1984 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on August 26, 1984. It was the thirteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...

 while Rosberg ended the season in Portugal

1984 Portuguese Grand Prix

The 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on October 21, 1984. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1984 Formula One season...

 with a disappointing was 14th place, following which the FW09 was retired. Williams finished sixth in the constructors' championship in 1984 having scored 25.5 points.

The FW09 was retired following the 1984 season. It was replaced in by the all carbon fibre and more successful Williams FW10

Williams FW10

The Williams FW10 was the Formula One car built and raced by the Williams team for the 1985 Formula One season. It was upgraded to FW10B specification later in the season.-Concept:1985 marked Williams' second full season with Honda turbo power...

.

Complete Formula One results

Year	Team/Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts.	WCC
	Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... FW09	Honda RA163-E V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...  tc Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...			BRA 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 13, 1983. It was the first round of the 1983 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Rosberg was disqualified for a push start in the pits...	USW 1983 United States Grand Prix West The 1983 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on March 27, 1983 at Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__-Summary:After struggling greatly in qualifying, the McLaren team found their way on race day, as John Watson and Niki Lauda climbed from positions 22 and 23 on the grid to...	FRA 1983 French Grand Prix The 1983 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on April 17, 1983. French driver Alain Prost won the race for the Renault team, and this was the French marque's 3rd French Grand Prix win in a row and the 4th in 5 seasons....	SMR 1983 San Marino Grand Prix The 1983 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 1, 1983.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	MON 1983 Monaco Grand Prix The 1983 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 15, 1983.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Alain Prost - 1:24.840*Fastest lap: Nelson Piquet - 1:27.283 on lap 69*Neither of the McLaren cars qualified...	BEL 1983 Belgian Grand Prix The 1983 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on May 22, 1983. After 13 years, the F1 circus returned to Spa after the track had been shortened...	DET	CAN 1983 Canadian Grand Prix The 1983 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 12, 1983.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	GBR 1983 British Grand Prix The 1983 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 16 July 1983. This was the last British Grand Prix event where the race took place on a Saturday rather than the usual Sunday.- Classification :-Standings after the race:...	GER 1983 German Grand Prix The 1983 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on August 7, 1983.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	AUT 1983 Austrian Grand Prix The 1983 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 14, 1983.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	NED 1983 Dutch Grand Prix The 1983 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 28, 1983.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	ITA 1983 Italian Grand Prix The 1983 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 11 September 1983.- Classification :- Notes :*This was the first time a Cosworth powered car failed to finish in the points since the 1967 French Grand Prix....	EUR 1983 European Grand Prix The 1983 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on September 25, 1983. This race saw Bruno Giacomelli score his final championship point, and was the first race for qualified doctor and current circuit owner Jonathan Palmer...	RSA 1983 South African Grand Prix The 1983 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on October 15, 1983. It was the final race of the 1983 Formula One season....		2	11th
				Keke Rosberg Keke Rosberg Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...															5
				Jacques Laffite Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....															Ret
	Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... FW09/FW09B	Honda RA163-E V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...  tc Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...			BRA 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 25, 1984. It was the first round of the 1984 Formula One season...	RSA 1984 South African Grand Prix The 1984 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on April 7, 1984. It was the second round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*First point: Ayrton Senna...	BEL 1984 Belgian Grand Prix The 1984 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on April 29, 1984. It was the third round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Finishing Grid :- Notes :*This was the last F1 race to take place at Zolder...	SMR 1984 San Marino Grand Prix The 1984 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 6, 1984. It was the fourth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :...	FRA 1984 French Grand Prix The 1984 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on May 20, 1984. It was the fifth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :...	MON 1984 Monaco Grand Prix The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on June 3, 1984. It was the sixth round of the 1984 Formula One season.The race, held amidst heavy rain, was one of the most contentious in Formula One history, and announced the emergence of at least two new stars...	CAN 1984 Canadian Grand Prix The 1984 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 17, 1984. It was the seventh round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...	DET	DAL	GBR 1984 British Grand Prix The 1984 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 22, 1984. It was the tenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.-Qualifying:...	GER 1984 German Grand Prix The 1984 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on August 5, 1984. It was the eleventh round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...	AUT 1984 Austrian Grand Prix The 1984 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 19, 1984. It was the twelfth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :* First race: Gerhard Berger...	NED 1984 Dutch Grand Prix The 1984 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on August 26, 1984. It was the thirteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...	ITA 1984 Italian Grand Prix The 1984 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 9 September 1984. It was the fourteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :...	EUR 1984 European Grand Prix The 1984 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on October 7, 1984. It was the fifteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season...	POR 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on October 21, 1984. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1984 Formula One season...	25.5	6th
				Keke Rosberg Keke Rosberg Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...	2	Ret	4	Ret	6	4	Ret	Ret	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret
				Jacques Laffite Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	8	Ret	5	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	14