Williams FW11
Encyclopedia
The Williams FW11 was a Formula One
car designed by Patrick Head
and Frank Dernie
as a serious challenger to McLaren and their MP4/2
car. The car took over from where the FW10
left off at the end of , when that car won the last three races of the season. The FW11's most notable feature was the Honda 1.5 Litre V6 turbo engine, the most powerful in F1 at the time producing 800 bhp at 12,000rpm and well over 1,000 bhp in qualifying. Added to the engine's power were the aerodynamics, which were ahead of the MP4/2 and the Lotus 97T
. That and its excellent driving pairing of Nelson Piquet
and Nigel Mansell
made it a force to be reckoned with. The car was an instantly recognisable product of the turbo era of F1.
In , the car won first time out in Brazil
with Piquet, before Mansell laid down a title challenge with four wins. Williams were shaken by the near fatal road crash of Frank Williams which demoralised the team, but Head stepped up and managed the team until Williams returned late in the season. This may have caused the in-fighting between the two team mates, and the lost points helped Alain Prost
take his second world championship. That and Mansell's spectacular blow out in the final race in Australia
where all he had to do was finish third to win the title. The points built up between Piquet and Mansell were enough for Williams to take the constructors' championship, however.
The FW11 was updated slightly for to become the FW11B, and the team made no mistakes in wrapping up both championships. Honda were now supplying Lotus
with the same engine supplied to Williams, which helped Ayrton Senna
challenge consistently, but the FW11's superiority told, and Piquet finished in the points (mostly on the podium) in every race other than Spa
, Imola
(where he had a terrible crash at Tamburello during Friday practice, and he emerged with only a sore ankle, and he wanted to start the race but was prevented from doing so by Sid Watkins
) and Adelaide
, and he was champion. As for Mansell, he scored six victories including a memorable win at the British Grand Prix
. He scored twice as many wins as Piquet, but also had the lion's share of bad luck and unreliability. Piquet's third championship was assured after Mansell had a major crash during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix
. The team tested and developed its own active suspension
for the first time with the FW11B and Piquet found the car to be superior to the conventionally suspended FW11B. He first used it in competition at the Italian Grand Prix
where it proved much faster allowing him to run with less wing and record the highest speed of the 1987 season when he was speed trapped at 218.807mph (352.135km/h), some 5mph faster than Mansell could manage in the conventional suspension car. There were also plans in 1987 to introduce a semi automatic transmission, but this never came to pass.
The FW11 was not a technical showcase by any means, but solid engineering, the engine's outright power and Piquet and Mansell helped the car take 18 wins, 16 pole positions and 278 points over two seasons of racing.
An interim car that was tested before the FW11's successor FW12 was finished, the FW11C was used for the Judd V8 engine powering the FW12 in 1988. It was only built for testing purposes and it never raced.
as an unlockable car. Piquet's FW11B was featured in the game Toca Race Driver 3
.
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 Frank Dernie
Frank Dernie
Frank Dernie is a veteran British engineer with extensive Formula One motorsport experience.-Career:Dernie was brought up in Lancashire and educated at Kirkham Grammar School before he studied engineering at the Imperial College London university...
as a serious challenger to McLaren and their MP4/2
McLaren MP4/2
-Complete Formula One results: -See also:* Williams FW11* Lotus 97T...
car. The car took over from where the 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...
left off at the end of , when that car won the last three races of the season. The FW11's most notable feature was the Honda 1.5 Litre V6 turbo engine, the most powerful in F1 at the time producing 800 bhp at 12,000rpm and well over 1,000 bhp in qualifying. Added to the engine's power were the aerodynamics, which were ahead of the MP4/2 and the Lotus 97T
Lotus 97T
The Lotus 97T was a Formula One racing car designed by Gérard Ducarouge and built by Team Lotus. A development of the Lotus 95T of 1984, it was designed for the 1985 Formula One season by French engineer Gérard Ducarouge and powered by a 1500cc Renault turbocharged engine. Sponsorship came from...
. That and its excellent driving pairing of Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
and Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
made it a force to be reckoned with. The car was an instantly recognisable product of the turbo era of F1.
In , the car won first time out in Brazil
1986 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 23, 1986.This was the first race to be held after Sir Frank Williams' car accident in France. Nigel Mansell was out of the race on the first lap after an overtaking attempt on Senna saw him in the wall....
with Piquet, before Mansell laid down a title challenge with four wins. Williams were shaken by the near fatal road crash of Frank Williams which demoralised the team, but Head stepped up and managed the team until Williams returned late in the season. This may have caused the in-fighting between the two team mates, and the lost points helped Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
take his second world championship. That and Mansell's spectacular blow out in the final race in Australia
1986 Australian Grand Prix
The 1986 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1986 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia. It was the last of 16 races in the 1986 Formula One season...
where all he had to do was finish third to win the title. The points built up between Piquet and Mansell were enough for Williams to take the constructors' championship, however.
The FW11 was updated slightly for to become the FW11B, and the team made no mistakes in wrapping up both championships. Honda were now supplying Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
with the same engine supplied to Williams, which helped Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
challenge consistently, but the FW11's superiority told, and Piquet finished in the points (mostly on the podium) in every race other than Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
, Imola
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
(where he had a terrible crash at Tamburello during Friday practice, and he emerged with only a sore ankle, and he wanted to start the race but was prevented from doing so by Sid Watkins
Sid Watkins
Eric Sidney Watkins OBE, FRCS is a world-renowned English neurosurgeon.Watkins served twenty-six years as the FIA Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate, head of the Formula One on-track medical team, and first responder in case of a crash.He is commonly known within the Formula One fraternity as...
) and Adelaide
Adelaide Street Circuit
The Adelaide Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the central business district of the city of Adelaide in South Australia....
, and he was champion. As for Mansell, he scored six victories including a memorable win at the British Grand Prix
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
. He scored twice as many wins as Piquet, but also had the lion's share of bad luck and unreliability. Piquet's third championship was assured after Mansell had a major crash during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix
1987 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1987 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on November 1, 1987.- Race :The 1987 Japanese Grand Prix was the first race to be held in Japan since James Hunt won in his McLaren at Fuji, in 1977. This time, the Grand Prix circus utilised the Honda owned Suzuka circuit...
. The team tested and developed its own active suspension
Active suspension
Active or adaptive suspension is an automotive technology that controls the vertical movement of the wheels with an onboard system rather than the movement being determined entirely by the road surface...
for the first time with the FW11B and Piquet found the car to be superior to the conventionally suspended FW11B. He first used it in competition at the Italian Grand Prix
1987 Italian Grand Prix
The 1987 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 6, 1987.- Classification :- Notes :*Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy.-Standings after the race:...
where it proved much faster allowing him to run with less wing and record the highest speed of the 1987 season when he was speed trapped at 218.807mph (352.135km/h), some 5mph faster than Mansell could manage in the conventional suspension car. There were also plans in 1987 to introduce a semi automatic transmission, but this never came to pass.
The FW11 was not a technical showcase by any means, but solid engineering, the engine's outright power and Piquet and Mansell helped the car take 18 wins, 16 pole positions and 278 points over two seasons of racing.
An interim car that was tested before the FW11's successor FW12 was finished, the FW11C was used for the Judd V8 engine powering the FW12 in 1988. It was only built for testing purposes and it never raced.
Other
Mansell's FW11 was featured in the Japanese and American versions of the 2001 game Gran Turismo 3 under the alias F686/M. It was the most powerful Formula One car in the game, producing 939 PS (926 hp) (with an oil change it has 973 hp). It was also featured in the game Formula One 05Formula One 05
Formula One 05 for the PlayStation 2 was released in Europe on July 1, 2005, and in Australia later that year. It featured the 'Career Mode' concept from Formula One 04, which allows players to work their way through the Formula One teams over the course of five years...
as an unlockable car. Piquet's FW11B was featured in the game Toca Race Driver 3
TOCA Race Driver 3
TOCA Race Driver 3 is the third title of TOCA racing video game series, developed and published by Codemasters. TOCA Race Driver 3 was released in Europe and North America on February 24, 2006...
.
Complete Formula One results
(results shown in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)| 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... FW11 |
Honda RA166-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 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 23, 1986.This was the first race to be held after Sir Frank Williams' car accident in France. Nigel Mansell was out of the race on the first lap after an overtaking attempt on Senna saw him in the wall.... |
ESP 1986 Spanish Grand Prix The 1986 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jerez on April 13, 1986. This was the first Spanish Grand Prix since the 1981 race held at Jarama.... |
SMR 1986 San Marino Grand Prix The 1986 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on 27 April 1986. The race was the third round of the year's World Championship... |
MON 1986 Monaco Grand Prix The 1986 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 11, 1986.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Alain Prost 71 , Ayrton Senna 7... |
BEL 1986 Belgian Grand Prix The 1986 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on May 25, 1986.Nelson Piquet took pole late in the qualifying session using a spare car... |
CAN 1986 Canadian Grand Prix The 1986 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 15, 1986.- Classification :-Standings after Grand Prix:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
DET 1986 Detroit Grand Prix The 1986 Detroit Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 22, 1986 in Detroit, Michigan.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Rising Lotus star Ayrton Senna started on the pole and came away with a hard-earned win, the fourth of his career. The young Brazilian charged through the field after dropping to... |
FRA 1986 French Grand Prix The 1986 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 6, 1986. Elio De Angelis's fatal crash on the full circuit 2 months before prompted Formula One to use a shortened version of the circuit.- Classification :-Trivia:... |
GBR 1986 British Grand Prix The 1986 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 13, 1986. It was the ninth race of the 1986 Formula One season... |
GER 1986 German Grand Prix The 1986 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 27, 1986. It was the tenth race of the 1986 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
HUN 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hungaroring on August 10, 1986. It was the eleventh round of the 1986 Formula One season.... |
AUT 1986 Austrian Grand Prix The 1986 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on 17 August 1986.- Classification :- Notes :* The Benettons of Berger and Fabi were so dominant in this race that they were 40 seconds ahead of third-placed Prost after 12 laps... |
ITA 1986 Italian Grand Prix The 1986 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1986.- Race :Following problems at the start of the parade lap, pole position man Teo Fabi was forced to start from the back of the grid and Alain Prost, alongside him on the front row, had to start from the pit... |
EUR 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on September 21, 1986.- Classification :- Notes :* Williams-Honda took the Constructor's Championship with two races left.... |
MEX 1986 Mexican Grand Prix The 1986 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 12, 1986.It was the first win for Gerhard Berger and the first win for the Benetton team. Benetton ran on Pirelli tyres, and their relative durability compared to competitors on Goodyear tyres played to the... |
AUS 1986 Australian Grand Prix The 1986 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1986 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia. It was the last of 16 races in the 1986 Formula One season... |
141 | 1st | |||
| Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series... |
Ret | 2 | Ret | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 1 | 5 | Ret | ||||||
| Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan... |
1 | Ret | 2 | 7 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| 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... FW11B |
Honda RA167-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 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 12, 1987 at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, Rio de Janeiro. It was the first race of the 1987 Formula One season.- Race summary :... |
SMR 1987 San Marino Grand Prix The 1987 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 3, 1987 at the Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola. It was the second race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:... |
BEL 1987 Belgian Grand Prix The 1987 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 17, 1987 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa. It was the third race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:... |
MON 1987 Monaco Grand Prix The 1987 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 31, 1987 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo. It was the fourth race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:... |
DET 1987 Detroit Grand Prix The 1987 Detroit Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 21, 1987 in Detroit, Michigan.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Ayrton Senna repeated his 1986 win in Detroit and won his second 1987 race in a row, the first wins for a car with active suspension... |
FRA 1987 French Grand Prix The 1987 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 5, 1987 at the Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet. It was the sixth race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:... |
GBR 1987 British Grand Prix The 1987 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 12 July 1987 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone. It was the seventh race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:... |
GER 1987 German Grand Prix The 1987 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hockenheimring on July 26, 1987.- Classification :*Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy.-Standings after the race:... |
HUN 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Hungaroring on August 9, 1987.- Classification :- Notes :*Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy.-Standings after the race:... |
AUT 1987 Austrian Grand Prix The 1987 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Österreichring on August 16, 1987.- Classification :- Notes :*Martin Brundle was disqualified from 14th place for a bodywork infringement after he crashed his Zakspeed on the first start and used the spare.*Nelson Piquet's average speed... |
ITA 1987 Italian Grand Prix The 1987 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 6, 1987.- Classification :- Notes :*Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy.-Standings after the race:... |
POR 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Estoril on September 20, 1987.- Classification :- Notes :*Alain Prost eclipsed the previous record for most F1 World Championship victories at this race, and it was a record Prost held for 14 years until surpassed by Michael Schumacher... |
ESP 1987 Spanish Grand Prix The 1987 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Jerez on September 27, 1987.- Summary :The 1987 Spanish Grand Prix was won fairly comfortably by Nigel Mansell who took pole sitter Nelson Piquet at the end of the first lap and was never headed... |
MEX 1987 Mexican Grand Prix The 1987 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Mexico City on October 18, 1987.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
JPN 1987 Japanese Grand Prix The 1987 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on November 1, 1987.- Race :The 1987 Japanese Grand Prix was the first race to be held in Japan since James Hunt won in his McLaren at Fuji, in 1977. This time, the Grand Prix circus utilised the Honda owned Suzuka circuit... |
AUS 1987 Australian Grand Prix The 1987 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 15, 1987.- Race :The third Australian Grand Prix to be held at Adelaide and the final round of the 1987 Formula One season proved to be another eventful race. Gerhard Berger started from his third pole position... |
137 | 1st | |||
| Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series... |
6 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 5 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 14 | 1 | 3 | Ret | 1 | 1 | DNS | |||||||
| Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan... |
2 | DNS | Ret | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15 | Ret | ||||||
| Riccardo Patrese Riccardo Patrese Riccardo Gabriele Patrese is an Italian former racing driver, who raced in Formula One from to .He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and the first to achieve 250 starts at the 1993 German Grand Prix... |
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