Williams FW14
Encyclopedia
The Williams FW14 was a Formula One car
designed by Adrian Newey
, used by the Williams
team during the 1991
and 1992
Formula One seasons. The car was born out of necessity, as the 1989
and 1990
seasons had proven competitive for Williams, but they had underachieved in their own and Renault
's eyes. Newey started work on the new car soon after joining the team from March
in mid-1990. He had designed a series of aerodynamically efficient and very effective cars for March on a limited budget, so with Williams' greater resources and money he was able to fully develop his ideas. The design showed enough promise to tempt Nigel Mansell
to shelve his plans to retire from the sport and rejoin Williams from Ferrari
. Powered by a 3.5 litre V10
Renault engine, the car was the most technically sophisticated on the grid. By 1992 the FW14B featured a semi automatic gearbox
, active suspension
, traction control
and for a brief period anti-lock brakes. Add to that the superb aerodynamics by Newey that was way ahead of the McLaren MP4/6
, Ferrari 643 or Lotus 107
, and it made for a potent mix, although at the beginning the disbelievers said the car was too technical for its own good. The FW14B was so successful that its successor (the FW15), which was already available at mid season in 1992, was never used.
The FW14 made its debut at the 1991 United States Grand Prix
. The car was clearly the most technically advanced on the grid, but early teething troubles in 1991 stymied the team's early progress. Nigel Mansell
and Riccardo Patrese
recorded 7 victories between them, but the drivers' championship was wrapped up by Ayrton Senna
in the McLaren who had better reliability. Williams had the faster car throughout the balance of the season and it provided a run of good form in the mid season for both Mansell and Patrese. Mansell in particular however had several retirements due to the then new-for-Williams semi automatic transmission, with most of these retirements occurring while in a position to win races. Patrese was impressive on several occasions, and retired while leading twice. McLaren's superior reliability told in the constructors' championship though, as they narrowly took the championship from Williams.
was signed, while Patrese moved to Benetton
for his swansong season in 1993. There were many races where Mansell and Patrese would gain 2 seconds on the rest of the field every lap, usually in the first 10 laps, which made it completely obvious that the FW14B was far superior to even the next best car, the McLaren MP4/7A
. Another example of Williams' dominance that year was at qualifying at the British Grand Prix
at Silverstone, where Mansell was a whole 2 seconds faster than his teammate Patrese, who again was a second faster than 3rd placed Ayrton Senna
.
The FW14 won 17 grands prix, 22 pole positions and 289 points before being replaced with the FW15C
for 1993. Given that current F1 regulations ban many of the technologies used by the FW14B and FW15C, these are considered among the most technologically advanced racing cars ever built.
Formula One car
A modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
designed by Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
, used by the 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...
team during the 1991
1991 Formula One season
The 1991 Formula One season was the 42nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1991 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 10, 1991 and ended on November 3 after sixteen races...
and 1992
1992 Formula One season
The 1992 Formula One season was the 43rd FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 1, 1992, and ended on November 8 after sixteen races...
Formula One seasons. The car was born out of necessity, as the 1989
1989 Formula One season
The 1989 Formula One season was the 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1989 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 26, 1989 and ended on November 5 after sixteen races...
and 1990
1990 Formula One season
The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 11, 1990 and ended on November 4 after sixteen races...
seasons had proven competitive for Williams, but they had underachieved in their own and Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
's eyes. Newey started work on the new car soon after joining the team from March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
in mid-1990. He had designed a series of aerodynamically efficient and very effective cars for March on a limited budget, so with Williams' greater resources and money he was able to fully develop his ideas. The design showed enough promise to tempt 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...
to shelve his plans to retire from the sport and rejoin Williams from Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
. Powered by a 3.5 litre V10
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...
Renault engine, the car was the most technically sophisticated on the grid. By 1992 the FW14B featured a semi automatic gearbox
Semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
, 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...
, traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
and for a brief period anti-lock brakes. Add to that the superb aerodynamics by Newey that was way ahead of the McLaren MP4/6
McLaren MP4/6
The McLaren MP4/6 is a Formula One racecar that was designed by Neil Oatley for the F1 season. It was the first McLaren to be powered by a Honda V12 engine. The car was tested by Gerhard Berger in the off-season, but he was unimpressed with the new engine, feeling it was underpowered for what it...
, Ferrari 643 or Lotus 107
Lotus 107
The Lotus 107 was a Formula One car used by Team Lotus. Designed for the 1992 Formula One season, it brought in a final, frustratingly limited and short-lived period of competitiveness for the legendary Team Lotus in Formula One...
, and it made for a potent mix, although at the beginning the disbelievers said the car was too technical for its own good. The FW14B was so successful that its successor (the FW15), which was already available at mid season in 1992, was never used.
Williams FW14
1991 United States Grand Prix
The 1991 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 10, 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Ayrton Senna's new McLaren-Honda had not turned a wheel prior to arriving in Phoenix for the start of the 1991 Formula One season, but when it did, no one could even stay close...
. The car was clearly the most technically advanced on the grid, but early teething troubles in 1991 stymied the team's early progress. 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...
and 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...
recorded 7 victories between them, but the drivers' championship was wrapped up by 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...
in the McLaren who had better reliability. Williams had the faster car throughout the balance of the season and it provided a run of good form in the mid season for both Mansell and Patrese. Mansell in particular however had several retirements due to the then new-for-Williams semi automatic transmission, with most of these retirements occurring while in a position to win races. Patrese was impressive on several occasions, and retired while leading twice. McLaren's superior reliability told in the constructors' championship though, as they narrowly took the championship from Williams.
Williams FW14B
In 1992, after further development work was done to the gearbox, traction control and the active suspension, the FW14B was the dominant car and Mansell wrapped up the championship with a then record 9 wins in a season, whilst Patrese scored a further win. Patrese didn't warm to the car as much as the FW14, as he preferred the passive suspension in that chassis. Williams were clear winners of the constructors' championship, but the season ended in acrimony as Mansell left the team after Alain ProstAlain 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...
was signed, while Patrese moved to Benetton
Benetton Formula
Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...
for his swansong season in 1993. There were many races where Mansell and Patrese would gain 2 seconds on the rest of the field every lap, usually in the first 10 laps, which made it completely obvious that the FW14B was far superior to even the next best car, the McLaren MP4/7A
McLaren MP4/7A
The McLaren MP4/7A was McLaren International's Formula One entry for 1992, and a follow-up to their successful MP4/6 from the previous season. The Williams-Renault combination was getting faster and more reliable, and became a formidable challenger to McLaren's dominance...
. Another example of Williams' dominance that year was at qualifying at the British Grand Prix
1992 British Grand Prix
The 1992 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 12, 1992. It was the ninth round of the 1992 Formula One season...
at Silverstone, where Mansell was a whole 2 seconds faster than his teammate Patrese, who again was a second faster than 3rd placed 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...
.
The FW14 won 17 grands prix, 22 pole positions and 289 points before being replaced with the FW15C
Williams FW15C
The Williams FW15C was a Renault-powered Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by Alain Prost and Damon Hill during the 1993 Formula One season....
for 1993. Given that current F1 regulations ban many of the technologies used by the FW14B and FW15C, these are considered among the most technologically advanced racing cars ever built.
Complete Formula One results
(results shown in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW14 | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... RS3C V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion... |
USA 1991 United States Grand Prix The 1991 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 10, 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Ayrton Senna's new McLaren-Honda had not turned a wheel prior to arriving in Phoenix for the start of the 1991 Formula One season, but when it did, no one could even stay close... |
BRA 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Interlagos on March 24, 1991.- Race summary :Ayrton Senna made a perfect start to lead from Nigel Mansell, Riccardo Patrese, Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost, building up a lead of some 3 seconds by lap 8. However Mansell was... |
SMR 1991 San Marino Grand Prix The 1991 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Imola on 28 April 1991.- Background :Stefan Johansson was replaced at AGS by F1 debutant Fabrizio Barbazza... |
MON 1991 Monaco Grand Prix The 1991 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 12, 1991.-Report:Ayrton Senna shocked no-one by taking pole position, but second place was a surprise with Stefano Modena taking full advantage of the superior Pirelli qualifying tyres to be second followed by Patrese, Piquet,... |
CAN 1991 Canadian Grand Prix The 1991 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 2, 1991.- Report :There had been a lot of action in the back rooms of Formula One between the Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix, with the most notable change being that Cesare Fiorio had been fired as team... |
MEX 1991 Mexican Grand Prix The 1991 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on June 16, 1991. It was the sixth race of the 1991 Formula One season.-Report:... |
FRA 1991 French Grand Prix The 1991 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 7, 1991. It was the seventh round of the 1991 Formula One season.-Report:The French Grand Prix had moved from its home in Paul Ricard to Magny-Cours to mixed reviews... |
GBR 1991 British Grand Prix The 1991 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 14 July 1991. It was the eighth round of the 1991 Formula One season.-Report:... |
GER 1991 German Grand Prix The 1991 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 28, 1991. It was the ninth round of the 1991 Formula One season.-Report:... |
HUN 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hungaroring on August 11, 1991. It was the tenth round of the 1991 Formula One season.- Report :... |
BEL 1991 Belgian Grand Prix The 1991 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 25, 1991. It was the eleventh round of the 1991 Formula One season and the debut race of Michael Schumacher.- Pre-race :... |
ITA 1991 Italian Grand Prix The 1991 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 8, 1991. It was the twelfth round of the 1991 Formula One season.- Report :... |
POR 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autódromo do Estoril on September 22, 1991. It was the thirteenth round of the 1991 Formula One season.- Report :... |
ESP 1991 Spanish Grand Prix The 1991 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 29, 1991 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fourteenth round of the 1991 Formula One season.- Report :... |
JPN 1991 Japanese Grand Prix The 1991 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on October 20, 1991. It was the fifteenth round of the 1991 Formula One season.- Report :... |
AUS 1991 Australian Grand Prix The 1991 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 3, 1991 at the Adelaide Street Circuit. It was the 16th and final race of the 1991 Formula One season. Torrential rain resulted in the race being stopped after 16 of the scheduled 81 laps had been completed. Confusion... |
125 | 2nd | |||
| 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 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | DSQ | 1 | Ret | 2 | ||||||
| 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... |
Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 1 | 5 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 5 | Ret | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | ||||||
| FW14B | Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... RS3C / RS4 V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion... |
RSA 1992 South African Grand Prix The 1992 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1992. It was the first round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
MEX 1992 Mexican Grand Prix The 1992 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on March 22, 1992. It was the second round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Nigel Mansell 69... |
BRA 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on April 5, 1992. It was the third round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Riccardo Patrese 31 , Nigel Mansell 40... |
ESP 1992 Spanish Grand Prix The 1992 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 3, 1992 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fourth round of the 1992 Formula One season.__FORCETOC__-Race:The race was also advertised as the Grand Prix of the Olympic Games... |
SMR 1992 San Marino Grand Prix The 1992 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 17, 1992. It was the fifth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Qualifying:... |
MON 1992 Monaco Grand Prix The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 31, 1992 at the Monaco. It was the sixth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race, contested over 78 laps was won by Ayrton Senna after a close battle for the lead in the final three laps with pole sitter Nigel Mansell... |
CAN 1992 Canadian Grand Prix The 1992 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 14, 1992. It was the seventh round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
FRA 1992 French Grand Prix The 1992 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 5, 1992. It was the eighth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Race:A lorry driver blockade meant the Andrea Moda Formula team did not appear at this race... |
GBR 1992 British Grand Prix The 1992 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 12, 1992. It was the ninth round of the 1992 Formula One season... |
GER 1992 German Grand Prix The 1992 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 26, 1992. It was the tenth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Background:... |
HUN 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hungaroring on 16 August 1992. It was the eleventh round of the 1992 Formula One season... |
BEL 1992 Belgian Grand Prix The 1992 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 30, 1992. It was the twelfth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race was won by Benetton's Michael Schumacher, it was the first of his record 91 Grand Prix wins... |
ITA 1992 Italian Grand Prix The 1992 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1992. It was the thirteenth round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
POR 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Autódromo do Estoril on September 27, 1992. It was the fourteenth round of the 1992 Formula One season. Nigel Mansell won the race, breaking the record for most wins in one season. However, the race is best remembered for the... |
JPN 1992 Japanese Grand Prix The 1992 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka on 25 October 1992. It was the fifteenth race of the 1992 Formula One season.- Before the race :... |
AUS 1992 Australian Grand Prix The 1992 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 8, 1992. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1992 Formula One season. The most significant moment was a collision between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell as the Brazilian attempted to overtake the... |
164 | 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... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 1 | Ret | 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... |
2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 8 | Ret | 3 | 5 | Ret | 1 | Ret |