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Williams is one of the oldest and most successful teams participating in Formula One racing, and is one of only three teams to have achieved over 100 Grand Prix wins. The team enjoyed periods of dominance during the late 1990s but has struggled to maintain its reputation as a leading Formula One team during the new millennium.
Headquarters: Grove, England
Engine: Cosworth CA2010
Chassis: FW32
F1 Debut: 2002 Australian Grand Prix
Drivers: Rubens Barichello, Nico Hulkenberg
Founded and run by Sir Frank Williams, the Williams team is the only one of the ‘big four’ teams in Formula One racing to have remained under independent ownership. The team designs and manufactures its own chassis, and has worked with a number of Formula One engine manufacturers during its history.
History
Williams made its Formula One debut in 1978 at the Argentinian Grand Prix. The Williams team was Frank Williams’ third attempt to break into motor racing, after previous unsuccessful attempts with Frank Williams Racing Cars and Walter Wolf Racing.
The Williams team began its involvement in Formula One racing using Ford engines. The team made rapid progress, achieving its first race win in its second season in Formula One racing, before claiming a first Constructors Championship in its third season in the sport.
Williams went on to dominate Formula One racing for the next two decades, winning nine Constructors Championships, while its drivers won eight Drivers Championships. During this golden era Williams joined forces with some of the finest drivers in the sport’s history, including Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Jacques Villeneuve and Ayrton Senna.
The team suffered a series of serious setbacks in the mid 1990s, which included the death of Ayrton Senna, as well as changes to FIA regulations that proved detrimental to the handling of the Williams car whilst also eliminating the technical edge the Williams team had enjoyed over its competitors. Despite these setbacks, Williams managed to bounce back in the 1997 season, before a resurgent Ferrari came to the fore once again in Formula One racing.
Since the turn of the Millennium, Williams has not performed very well. The team has endured several seasons without winning a race, and has struggled to develop a satisfactory relationship with an engine supplier. Its drivers positions have also been unsettled, as the team has struggled to land the services of a world class driver to take it to victory.
Williams in Formula One
While Williams has failed to regain the form that helped it dominate Formula One racing in the 1980s and 1990s, the team remains a powerful force in the sport. The team’s biggest challenge in recent years has been to find an engine supplier capable of building the type of successful association that Williams enjoyed with Renault. Williams is one of four teams to have signed the FIA’s Concorde Agreement.
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