Williams FW15C
Encyclopedia
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
.
As the car that won both the drivers' and constructors' championships in the last season before the FIA banned electronic driver aids, the FW15C has a decent claim to be the most technologically sophisticated Formula One car of all time, incorporating anti-lock brakes, traction control and active suspension.
which took Nigel Mansell
and Williams to both titles in 1992, the car was the first all-new car to be produced by Patrick Head
and Adrian Newey
. With Newey's input aerodynamically the FW15 was a significant improvement on its predecessor, with a narrower nose, sleeker airbox and engine cover and carefully sculpted sidepods. Another new feature was the larger rear wing used at high-downforce circuits which featured an extra element ahead and above the main wing.
The car was available in August 1992, but given the success and improved reliability of the FW14B, prudence dictated that the new car did not make its debut until the following year's season-opener in South Africa
. As a result of the huge difference in build of their two drivers (Alain Prost was nearly a foot shorter than Damon Hill), Williams eventually opted to build two slightly different FW15C tubs, so as to accommodate Hill's size 12 feet, as he had repeatedly complained of cramp in the tight confines around the pedals. The FW15C had 12% better aerodynamics (downforce/drag), and an engine with 30+ more horsepower than the FW14B, yet was shod on the narrower Goodyear tyres than the FW14B.
In addition, the FW15C featured an ABS braking system which was not available on the FW14B and featured a 210L fuel tank, compared to the 230L tank in the FW14B.
went into their fifth year with Williams and again proved to be the class of the field, with their RS5 67° V10 engine producing at least 760 bhp, at least 30 hp more than Benetton and McLaren's Ford V8, and with less of a penalty in terms of extra fuel carried than Ferrari's thirsty 041 3.5 l V12. Renault had acquired a reputation for almost bullet-proof reliability but Williams did suffer three engine failures during races in 1993, although on each occasion the sister car won the race.
The French Grand Prix
was a PR dream for Renault, with a French driver leading home the team's only 1-2 finish of the year, while Hill's victory at the Belgian race was Renault's 50th Formula One win.
The transmission also featured an automatic system. If the "auto-up" button is pressed, which could be at any time on the circuit, it will do automatic changes until the next time drivers call for a gearchange with the levers. The software is so programmed that it recognises when a driver calls for a gearchange before the automatic system is ready to do so and immediately hands back control to the manual system.
, anti-lock brakes, traction control
, telemetry
, fly-by-wire
controls, pneumatic valve springs, power steering
, semi-automatic transmission
, a fully automatic transmission and also continuously variable transmission
, although the latter was only used in testing. As a result Alain Prost described the car as "a little Airbus
".
While anti-lock brakes and traction control made driving the car on the limit easier, added complication arose from occasions when the computer systems wrongly interpreted the information they were receiving from their sensors, the active suspension being particularly prone to this from time to time.
With so many computer systems on board the car required three laptop computers to be connected to it every time it was fired up: one each for the engine, the telemetry and the suspension.
The FW15C also featured a push to pass system (left yellow button on steering wheel), which would use the active suspension to raise the car up at the rear, and eliminate the drag from the diffuser, effectively increasing speed through a lack of downforce. Williams was able to use the electronics, so they could sync up a flawless link that would simultaneously set the engine for another 300 revs, and raise the active suspension for when the driver needed extra speed while overtaking.
This system could be seen being used by Hill and Prost numerous times in 1993 while attempting passing manoeuvres.
So great was the level of technology on the cars that FIA
decided to ban several of what they considered to be "driver aids" with immediate effect following the British Grand Prix, leading to the so-called "Weikershof Protocol", by which the ban was postponed to the start of 1994.
had signed with Williams for the 1993 season, having spent the previous year out of motorsport competition on a sabbatical. Reigning Champion Nigel Mansell
departed Formula One, over a dispute with Frank Williams with money and the signing of Prost, to race in the American CART
series for 1993, while Riccardo Patrese
moved to Benetton-Ford. Mika Häkkinen
was considered for the vacancy left behind before the team decided to promote Damon Hill
, the team's test driver for the past two years, who had made two starts for Brabham in 1992. Williams retained this driver pairing in all 16 races in 1993.
Triple World Champion Ayrton Senna
, who had previously had a test with Williams in 1983, had repeatedly tried to get Frank Williams to sign him and even went so far as to offer his services for free, but a clause in Prost's contract specifically forbade Williams signing Senna as Prost's team-mate and the Brazilian instead opted to remain at McLaren on a race-by-race basis. However, Prost's clause only covered the 1993 season.
by a margin of almost a lap over Senna’s McLaren. The FW15C was so dominant in qualifying that Prost and Hill often qualified 1.5 to 2 seconds in front of Schumacher and Senna, who usually qualified 3rd and 4th. For example, Prost outqualified his teammate by a whole second at Interlagos, who was again a second ahead of the eventual winner Senna. In Brazil
Prost retired midway through, a victim of someone else’s accident, and Senna managed to get past Hill to win, with the Englishman registering his first podium and points in F1 in second. The third race of the season at Donington
saw Senna’s most dominant performance, with Hill taking second and Prost inheriting third from Barrichello late on, the Frenchman’s race hampered by intermittent gearbox problems.
With three races gone Senna lay 12 points ahead of Prost, but it was already becoming clear that even Senna in his prime would struggle to keep ahead of Prost and the superior Williams car, and so it proved with the team going on a run of nine wins in the next ten races. Dominant displays from Prost at San Marino
and Spain
lifted him above Senna in the standings, but Senna regained the lead with his sixth and final win at Monaco
before Prost’s Canada
win give him back the lead.
By now Hill was starting to consistently challenge his team-mate. The Englishman was in touch with Prost nose to tail virtually throughout the French Grand Prix
, and seemed to be set fair for his debut win in the British Grand Prix
before a rare engine failure 18 laps from the end left the home crowd disappointed. In Germany
Hill came even closer after a stop-go penalty held Prost up, but this time the Englishman’s rear tyre suffered a puncture on the penultimate lap, with Prost again inheriting the win.
In Hungary
Hill finally got his first win, a task made easier after Prost stalled on the warm-up lap and had to start last. Prost fought his way up to fourth before a rear wing failure ended his bid for a points finish, but a retirement for Senna meant there was no ground lost. Hill made up for lost time completing a hat trick
of wins in Belgium
and Italy
. Hill and Prost's 1-3 finishes, respectively, at Spa
secured Williams their sixth Constructors’ Championship.
Senna had had a terrible run of fortune but was still in with a mathematical chance of the title as the teams met in Portugal
, but Prost’s second place was enough to secure his fourth World Drivers’ Championship, prompting the Frenchman to announce his retirement at the end of the year. In the last two races Prost followed Senna home, which meant Hill dropped to third behind the Brazilian in the final Championship standings.
Alain Prost was quoted as saying:
"I think that an active suspension car with traction control needs to be thrown around quite a lot, whereas I like to drive a little more quietly, perhaps using the throttle more sensitively, which perhaps is not needed quite so much in an active car".
In the wet the car also exhibited a tendency to momentarily lock the rear wheels during downchanges. This however was alleviated with the fitting of a power throttle system at Imola ensuring that the revs could be perfectly matched when the clutch was engaged.
became available, yet it was notably the quicker car of the two in early season testing laptimes.
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...
-powered 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 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...
and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by 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...
and Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
during the 1993 Formula One season
1993 Formula One season
The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 14, 1993 and ended on November 7 after sixteen races...
.
As the car that won both the drivers' and constructors' championships in the last season before the FIA banned electronic driver aids, the FW15C has a decent claim to be the most technologically sophisticated Formula One car of all time, incorporating anti-lock brakes, traction control and active suspension.
FW15
The original FW15 was a new car designed in 1992 to incorporate the active suspension changes developed and implemented on the earlier FW14B. The FW14B had initially been designed as a passive car (FW14) and had been pushed into being active. This meant it had various new active components implemented on the car which had not been in the original design brief. It was therefore considered a bloated and relatively overweight package. The original FW15 was an active car from the start which enabled a much tidier package closer to the minimum weight limit. The success of the FW14B meant that the FW15 was not needed in 1992.FW15B
The FW15B was a 1992 FW15 hastily converted to the 1993 regulations featuring narrow-track front suspension, narrower tyres, raised nose and wing endplates and narrower wings to enable early season testing for 1993.Chassis
Building on the hugely successful FW14BWilliams FW14
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....
which took 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 Williams to both titles in 1992, the car was the first all-new car to be produced 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 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...
. With Newey's input aerodynamically the FW15 was a significant improvement on its predecessor, with a narrower nose, sleeker airbox and engine cover and carefully sculpted sidepods. Another new feature was the larger rear wing used at high-downforce circuits which featured an extra element ahead and above the main wing.
The car was available in August 1992, but given the success and improved reliability of the FW14B, prudence dictated that the new car did not make its debut until the following year's season-opener in South Africa
1993 South African Grand Prix
The 1993 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 14, 1993. It was the first round of the 1993 Formula One season....
. As a result of the huge difference in build of their two drivers (Alain Prost was nearly a foot shorter than Damon Hill), Williams eventually opted to build two slightly different FW15C tubs, so as to accommodate Hill's size 12 feet, as he had repeatedly complained of cramp in the tight confines around the pedals. The FW15C had 12% better aerodynamics (downforce/drag), and an engine with 30+ more horsepower than the FW14B, yet was shod on the narrower Goodyear tyres than the FW14B.
In addition, the FW15C featured an ABS braking system which was not available on the FW14B and featured a 210L fuel tank, compared to the 230L tank in the FW14B.
Engine
RenaultRenault 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...
went into their fifth year with Williams and again proved to be the class of the field, with their RS5 67° V10 engine producing at least 760 bhp, at least 30 hp more than Benetton and McLaren's Ford V8, and with less of a penalty in terms of extra fuel carried than Ferrari's thirsty 041 3.5 l V12. Renault had acquired a reputation for almost bullet-proof reliability but Williams did suffer three engine failures during races in 1993, although on each occasion the sister car won the race.
The French Grand Prix
1993 French Grand Prix
The 1993 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 4, 1993. It was the eighth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Qualifying :...
was a PR dream for Renault, with a French driver leading home the team's only 1-2 finish of the year, while Hill's victory at the Belgian race was Renault's 50th Formula One win.
Transmission
The FW15C used a semi automatic transmission very similar to the FW14B, but with changes to the hydraulic activation system. A press button starting device by means of which the clutch comes under automatic control, attracted the drivers unreserved approval during a succession of tests, but they did not use it in races, preferring the notional, psychological reassurance of controlling the clutch pedal at the start.The transmission also featured an automatic system. If the "auto-up" button is pressed, which could be at any time on the circuit, it will do automatic changes until the next time drivers call for a gearchange with the levers. The software is so programmed that it recognises when a driver calls for a gearchange before the automatic system is ready to do so and immediately hands back control to the manual system.
Electronics
By 1993, Formula One had become very much a high-tech arena and the FW15C was at the very forefront, featuring active suspensionActive 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...
, anti-lock brakes, 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...
, telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
, fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
controls, pneumatic valve springs, power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
, semi-automatic transmission
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...
, a fully automatic transmission and also continuously variable transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
, although the latter was only used in testing. As a result Alain Prost described the car as "a little Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
".
While anti-lock brakes and traction control made driving the car on the limit easier, added complication arose from occasions when the computer systems wrongly interpreted the information they were receiving from their sensors, the active suspension being particularly prone to this from time to time.
With so many computer systems on board the car required three laptop computers to be connected to it every time it was fired up: one each for the engine, the telemetry and the suspension.
The FW15C also featured a push to pass system (left yellow button on steering wheel), which would use the active suspension to raise the car up at the rear, and eliminate the drag from the diffuser, effectively increasing speed through a lack of downforce. Williams was able to use the electronics, so they could sync up a flawless link that would simultaneously set the engine for another 300 revs, and raise the active suspension for when the driver needed extra speed while overtaking.
This system could be seen being used by Hill and Prost numerous times in 1993 while attempting passing manoeuvres.
So great was the level of technology on the cars that FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
decided to ban several of what they considered to be "driver aids" with immediate effect following the British Grand Prix, leading to the so-called "Weikershof Protocol", by which the ban was postponed to the start of 1994.
Drivers
An all new driver line-up was featured. Triple world champion 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...
had signed with Williams for the 1993 season, having spent the previous year out of motorsport competition on a sabbatical. Reigning Champion 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...
departed Formula One, over a dispute with Frank Williams with money and the signing of Prost, to race in the American CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series for 1993, while 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...
moved to Benetton-Ford. Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
was considered for the vacancy left behind before the team decided to promote Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
, the team's test driver for the past two years, who had made two starts for Brabham in 1992. Williams retained this driver pairing in all 16 races in 1993.
Triple World Champion 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...
, who had previously had a test with Williams in 1983, had repeatedly tried to get Frank Williams to sign him and even went so far as to offer his services for free, but a clause in Prost's contract specifically forbade Williams signing Senna as Prost's team-mate and the Brazilian instead opted to remain at McLaren on a race-by-race basis. However, Prost's clause only covered the 1993 season.
Performance
Williams quickly established themselves as the team to beat, with Prost winning in South Africa1993 South African Grand Prix
The 1993 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 14, 1993. It was the first round of the 1993 Formula One season....
by a margin of almost a lap over Senna’s McLaren. The FW15C was so dominant in qualifying that Prost and Hill often qualified 1.5 to 2 seconds in front of Schumacher and Senna, who usually qualified 3rd and 4th. For example, Prost outqualified his teammate by a whole second at Interlagos, who was again a second ahead of the eventual winner Senna. In Brazil
1993 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on March 28, 1993. It was the second round of the 1993 Formula One season....
Prost retired midway through, a victim of someone else’s accident, and Senna managed to get past Hill to win, with the Englishman registering his first podium and points in F1 in second. The third race of the season at Donington
1993 European Grand Prix
The 1993 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Donington Park on April 11, 1993. It was the third round of the 1993 Formula One season. The race was notable for the dominance of Ayrton Senna.-Report:...
saw Senna’s most dominant performance, with Hill taking second and Prost inheriting third from Barrichello late on, the Frenchman’s race hampered by intermittent gearbox problems.
With three races gone Senna lay 12 points ahead of Prost, but it was already becoming clear that even Senna in his prime would struggle to keep ahead of Prost and the superior Williams car, and so it proved with the team going on a run of nine wins in the next ten races. Dominant displays from Prost at San Marino
1993 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1993 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on April 25, 1993. It was the fourth round of the 1993 Formula One season....
and Spain
1993 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1993 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 9, 1993 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fifth round of the 1993 Formula One season....
lifted him above Senna in the standings, but Senna regained the lead with his sixth and final win at Monaco
1993 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1993 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 23, 1993. It was the sixth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Summary :...
before Prost’s Canada
1993 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1993 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 13, 1993. It was the seventh round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Qualifying :...
win give him back the lead.
By now Hill was starting to consistently challenge his team-mate. The Englishman was in touch with Prost nose to tail virtually throughout the French Grand Prix
1993 French Grand Prix
The 1993 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 4, 1993. It was the eighth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Qualifying :...
, and seemed to be set fair for his debut win in the British Grand Prix
1993 British Grand Prix
The 1993 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 11 July 1993. It was the ninth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Damon Hill appeared set for his first Formula One victory, before his engine failed on lap 42. This handed the win to his team-mate Alain Prost.Ayrton...
before a rare engine failure 18 laps from the end left the home crowd disappointed. In Germany
1993 German Grand Prix
The 1993 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheim on 25 July 1993. It was the tenth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Alain Prost scored his final Formula One victory after team-mate Damon Hill was denied a first win by a tyre problem on the penultimate lap...
Hill came even closer after a stop-go penalty held Prost up, but this time the Englishman’s rear tyre suffered a puncture on the penultimate lap, with Prost again inheriting the win.
In Hungary
1993 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hungaroring on 15 August 1993. It was the eleventh round of the 1993 Formula One season. It marked the first victory of Damon Hill, after he had retired while leading the last two races . He became the first son of a World Champion...
Hill finally got his first win, a task made easier after Prost stalled on the warm-up lap and had to start last. Prost fought his way up to fourth before a rear wing failure ended his bid for a points finish, but a retirement for Senna meant there was no ground lost. Hill made up for lost time completing a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
of wins in Belgium
1993 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1993 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 29, 1993. It was the twelfth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Damon Hill scored a second successive victory. Alain Prost was leading the race and looked set to win, but a miscommunication during his...
and Italy
1993 Italian Grand Prix
The 1993 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1993. It was the thirteenth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Report :...
. Hill and Prost's 1-3 finishes, respectively, at 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...
secured Williams their sixth Constructors’ Championship.
Senna had had a terrible run of fortune but was still in with a mathematical chance of the title as the teams met in Portugal
1993 Portuguese Grand Prix
The 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on September 26, 1993. It was the fourteenth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Michael Schumacher took his only win of the season, while second place was enough for Alain Prost to clinch the championship, after Ayrton...
, but Prost’s second place was enough to secure his fourth World Drivers’ Championship, prompting the Frenchman to announce his retirement at the end of the year. In the last two races Prost followed Senna home, which meant Hill dropped to third behind the Brazilian in the final Championship standings.
Criticisms
The primary criticism of the FW15C was an inconsistent handling manner arising from occasions when the computer systems wrongly interpreted the information they were receiving from their sensors, or due to air being present in the hydraulics of the active system. Slight changes to the weight distribution of this latest Williams produced a car that was slightly more responsive than its immediate predecessor, if rather more nervous when driven on the limit. In particular this trait manifested itself in slight rear-end instability under braking, most notable on high speed circuits such as Hockenheim when the car was operating in a low downforce trim. It was a trait that particularly caused problems for the smoother driving style of Alain Prost who could set up the car best when it had even handling characteristics.Alain Prost was quoted as saying:
"I think that an active suspension car with traction control needs to be thrown around quite a lot, whereas I like to drive a little more quietly, perhaps using the throttle more sensitively, which perhaps is not needed quite so much in an active car".
In the wet the car also exhibited a tendency to momentarily lock the rear wheels during downchanges. This however was alleviated with the fitting of a power throttle system at Imola ensuring that the revs could be perfectly matched when the clutch was engaged.
FW15D
In early 1994, two FW15C chassis were modified to run without electronic driving aids, which were banned for 1994. The FW15D was an interim car with passive suspension, and no traction control. The cars were tested by Senna and Hill in January 1994, but the car was far from optimal, as it was originally designed around an active suspension system. The FW15D was used during the Rothmans Williams Renault launch at Estoril, on January 19th 1994 (Notably with David Coulthard driving with an onboard camera recorder, and not Ayrton Senna as many have incorrectly assumed). The car was retired once the FW16Williams FW16
The Williams FW16 was a Formula One car used by the Williams team for the 1994 Formula One season. It was designed by Adrian Newey with the major regulation changes that the FIA had introduced in the off-season, banning the electronic devices that had been used by the front running cars during the...
became available, yet it was notably the quicker car of the two in early season testing laptimes.
Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 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... |
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... RS5 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 1993 South African Grand Prix The 1993 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 14, 1993. It was the first round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
BRA 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on March 28, 1993. It was the second round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
EUR 1993 European Grand Prix The 1993 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Donington Park on April 11, 1993. It was the third round of the 1993 Formula One season. The race was notable for the dominance of Ayrton Senna.-Report:... |
SMR 1993 San Marino Grand Prix The 1993 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on April 25, 1993. It was the fourth round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
ESP 1993 Spanish Grand Prix The 1993 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 9, 1993 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fifth round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
MON 1993 Monaco Grand Prix The 1993 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 23, 1993. It was the sixth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Summary :... |
CAN 1993 Canadian Grand Prix The 1993 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 13, 1993. It was the seventh round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
FRA 1993 French Grand Prix The 1993 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 4, 1993. It was the eighth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
GBR 1993 British Grand Prix The 1993 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 11 July 1993. It was the ninth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Damon Hill appeared set for his first Formula One victory, before his engine failed on lap 42. This handed the win to his team-mate Alain Prost.Ayrton... |
GER 1993 German Grand Prix The 1993 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheim on 25 July 1993. It was the tenth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Alain Prost scored his final Formula One victory after team-mate Damon Hill was denied a first win by a tyre problem on the penultimate lap... |
HUN 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hungaroring on 15 August 1993. It was the eleventh round of the 1993 Formula One season. It marked the first victory of Damon Hill, after he had retired while leading the last two races . He became the first son of a World Champion... |
BEL 1993 Belgian Grand Prix The 1993 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 29, 1993. It was the twelfth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Damon Hill scored a second successive victory. Alain Prost was leading the race and looked set to win, but a miscommunication during his... |
ITA 1993 Italian Grand Prix The 1993 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1993. It was the thirteenth round of the 1993 Formula One season.- Report :... |
POR 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on September 26, 1993. It was the fourteenth round of the 1993 Formula One season. Michael Schumacher took his only win of the season, while second place was enough for Alain Prost to clinch the championship, after Ayrton... |
JPN 1993 Japanese Grand Prix The 1993 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka on October 24, 1993. It was the fifteenth and penultimate round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
AUS 1993 Australian Grand Prix The 1993 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 7, 1993. It was the final round of the 1993 Formula One season.... |
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| Damon Hill Damon Hill Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title... |
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| 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... |
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