Williams FW18
Encyclopedia
The Williams
-Renault
FW18 is a Formula One car
designed by Patrick Head
and Adrian Newey
for the 1996 Formula One season
. Powered by a 3.0 litre Renault
V10 engine
, the FW18 drew heavily on the 1995
Williams car, the FW17
, but featured new driver protection as regulated by the FIA for the new season. The drivers sat lower in the cockpit, which lowered the car's centre of gravity, thus aiding the handling of the car. Newey's superb aerodynamics placed the car well ahead of the Benetton
B196s of Gerhard Berger
and Jean Alesi
and the Ferrari
F310s that Michael Schumacher
and Eddie Irvine
had at their disposal.
The FW18s were driven by Damon Hill
and Jacques Villeneuve
. The car proved to be the most successful of the entire 1996 field; winning 12 of the 16 races during the season, with Hill winning 8 and Villeneuve winning 4. The FW18 was also the car that won Damon Hill the Drivers Championship title, making him the first son of a World Champion to become a Champion himself. The FW18 was also the second of three cars during the 1990s to enjoy a 1-2 finish on its Grand Prix debut, the first being the Williams FW14B
at the 1992 South African Grand Prix
and the third being the McLaren MP4-13 at the 1998 Australian Grand Prix
. The FW18 scored 175 points in its time and was one of the most successful Formula One cars of the 1990s.
Williams retained Damon Hill
for 1996, who helped to developed the FW18, and the car seemed to respond well to his smooth driving style, while his new teammate, Formula One rookie Jacques Villeneuve
, also quickly adapted to the FW18. The car was extremely reliable, as FW18s completed 1778 laps of a possible 2028, more than any other car that season. The car responded well to set-up changes and was competitive on all types of circuits, with at least one Williams driver, excluding Monaco
and Italian Grand Prix
, on the podium.
The FW18's dominance was also due in part to the recent personnel changes at rival teams. Benetton
(running the B196s of Gerhard Berger
and Jean Alesi
for 1996), which had previously bested Williams in the past two seasons, had lost Michael Schumacher
and several key technical people to Ferrari
. However, Ferrari's F310s that Schumacher and Eddie Irvine
had at their disposal were unreliable and it would not be until 1997 that they could challenge for the Constructor's title.
The FW18 proved to be very successful during the season, as the car won twelve of the sixteen races and won the Constructors' Championship for Williams by a comfortable margin. Hill and Villeneuve fought a good natured but close title fight between them, which was decided in the Englishman's favour at the final round in Japan
after Villeneuve's car lost its right-rear wheel. This was after Williams team principal, Frank Williams, took the controversial decision to not re-sign Hill for the 1997 season. Also before the season concluded, designer Adrian Newey
had been placed on "gardening leave
" as he would join McLaren for 1998. The departures of Hill and Newey would signal the beginning of the end of Williams dominance in Formula One, as they narrowly won the Driver's title in 1997, and failing to win a race in 1998.
Hill was re-united with the FW18 14 years after his championship year, as he demonstrated the car at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
.
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...
FW18 is a Formula One car
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 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...
for the 1996 Formula One season
1996 Formula One season
The 1996 Formula One season was the 47th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1996 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 10, 1996, and ended on October 13 after sixteen races...
. Powered by a 3.0 litre 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...
V10 engine
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...
, the FW18 drew heavily on the 1995
1995 Formula One season
The 1995 Formula One season was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship, which was contested over 17 races from March 26 to November 12, 1995. For the second year in succession, the Drivers' Championship was won by Michael Schumacher,...
Williams car, the FW17
Williams FW17
The Williams FW17 was a Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey with which the Williams team competed in the 1995 Formula One season. It was driven by Damon Hill, who was in his third year with the team, and David Coulthard, who was in his first full season after a part-time role in .With what...
, but featured new driver protection as regulated by the FIA for the new season. The drivers sat lower in the cockpit, which lowered the car's centre of gravity, thus aiding the handling of the car. Newey's superb aerodynamics placed the car well ahead of the 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...
B196s of Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
and Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
and the 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....
F310s that Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
and Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
had at their disposal.
The FW18s were driven by 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...
and Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
. The car proved to be the most successful of the entire 1996 field; winning 12 of the 16 races during the season, with Hill winning 8 and Villeneuve winning 4. The FW18 was also the car that won Damon Hill the Drivers Championship title, making him the first son of a World Champion to become a Champion himself. The FW18 was also the second of three cars during the 1990s to enjoy a 1-2 finish on its Grand Prix debut, the first being the Williams FW14B
Williams 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....
at the 1992 South African Grand Prix
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 :...
and the third being the McLaren MP4-13 at the 1998 Australian Grand Prix
1998 Australian Grand Prix
The 1998 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Albert Park street circuit in inner Melbourne on 8 March. It was the 63rd race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...
. The FW18 scored 175 points in its time and was one of the most successful Formula One cars of the 1990s.
Season performance
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...
for 1996, who helped to developed the FW18, and the car seemed to respond well to his smooth driving style, while his new teammate, Formula One rookie Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
, also quickly adapted to the FW18. The car was extremely reliable, as FW18s completed 1778 laps of a possible 2028, more than any other car that season. The car responded well to set-up changes and was competitive on all types of circuits, with at least one Williams driver, excluding Monaco
1996 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 19, 1996. The race was run in wet weather, causing significant attrition and setting a record for the least number of cars to be running at the end of a Grand Prix race...
and Italian Grand Prix
1996 Italian Grand Prix
The 1996 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 8, 1996 at Monza.-Pre-race:To stop cars kerb-hopping at chicanes due to ongoing track modifications at the time of the race, tyre barriers were erected at each chicane.-Race:...
, on the podium.
The FW18's dominance was also due in part to the recent personnel changes at rival teams. 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...
(running the B196s of Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
and Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
for 1996), which had previously bested Williams in the past two seasons, had lost Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
and several key technical people to 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....
. However, Ferrari's F310s that Schumacher and Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
had at their disposal were unreliable and it would not be until 1997 that they could challenge for the Constructor's title.
The FW18 proved to be very successful during the season, as the car won twelve of the sixteen races and won the Constructors' Championship for Williams by a comfortable margin. Hill and Villeneuve fought a good natured but close title fight between them, which was decided in the Englishman's favour at the final round in Japan
1996 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1996 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 13, 1996 at Suzuka. Jacques Villeneuve's retirement ended his small chance of the title, handing it to Damon Hill...
after Villeneuve's car lost its right-rear wheel. This was after Williams team principal, Frank Williams, took the controversial decision to not re-sign Hill for the 1997 season. Also before the season concluded, designer 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...
had been placed on "gardening leave
Gardening leave
Garden leave describes the practice whereby an employee who is leaving a job is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll...
" as he would join McLaren for 1998. The departures of Hill and Newey would signal the beginning of the end of Williams dominance in Formula One, as they narrowly won the Driver's title in 1997, and failing to win a race in 1998.
Hill was re-united with the FW18 14 years after his championship year, as he demonstrated the car at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010, at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening race of the 2010 Formula One season. It was the first time since 2006 that Bahrain had hosted the opening...
.
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 | Points | 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... |
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... 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... |
AUS 1996 Australian Grand Prix The 1996 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 10 March 1996 at Melbourne. It was the first time this race was held in Melbourne since 1984, taking over from Adelaide as the host of the Australian Grand Prix... |
BRA 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 31, 1996 at Interlagos, amidst heavy rain. Six different teams scored points, with Damon Hill following up his win at the first round of the season.... |
ARG 1996 Argentine Grand Prix The 1996 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 7, 1996 at Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires. Despite suffering a bout of food poisoning, Damon Hill made it three wins out of three, with Jacques Villeneuve helping Williams complete their second one-two of the season... |
EUR 1996 European Grand Prix The 1996 European Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 28, 1996 at Nürburgring. Jacques Villeneuve scored his first Formula One victory in his fourth Formula One start.Both Benetton cars made extremely slow starts, due to the brakes locking on... |
SMR 1996 San Marino Grand Prix The 1996 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 5, 1996 at Imola.- Qualifying :- Race :-Standings after Grand Prix:*Bold text indicates who still has a theoretical chance of becoming World Champion.... |
MON 1996 Monaco Grand Prix The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 19, 1996. The race was run in wet weather, causing significant attrition and setting a record for the least number of cars to be running at the end of a Grand Prix race... |
ESP 1996 Spanish Grand Prix The 1996 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 2, 1996 at the Circuit de Catalunya.This race, Michael Schumacher's first Ferrari victory, is generally regarded as one of his finest... |
CAN 1996 Canadian Grand Prix The 1996 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 16, 1996. The race was won by Damon Hill ahead of home hero Jacques Villeneuve, Gilles' son.... |
FRA 1996 French Grand Prix The 1996 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held at Magny-Cours on June 30, 1996.-Qualifying:-Race:- Notes :*Fastest Lap: Jacques Villeneuve 1:18.610*The engine of polesitter Schumacher's Ferrari failed on the formation lap... |
GBR 1996 British Grand Prix The 1996 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 14, 1996 at Silverstone. Jacques Villeneuve was the winner. After making a slow start from pole position, Damon Hill retired after a wheelnut problem caused him to spin off the circuit while he was trying to pass Mika Häkkinen... |
GER 1996 German Grand Prix The 1996 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 28, 1996 at Hockenheimring. Damon Hill started the race on pole position, and won it after Gerhard Berger's engine failed with 4 laps to go.-Qualifying:- Race :- Notes :... |
HUN 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 11, 1996 at Hungaroring.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Michael Schumacher 1:17.129* Fastest lap: Damon Hill 1:20.093* Williams secured the Constructors Championship.... |
BEL 1996 Belgian Grand Prix The 1996 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 25, 1996 at Spa-Francorchamps.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Jacques Villeneuve 1:50.574* Fastest lap: Gerhard Berger 1:53.067... |
ITA 1996 Italian Grand Prix The 1996 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 8, 1996 at Monza.-Pre-race:To stop cars kerb-hopping at chicanes due to ongoing track modifications at the time of the race, tyre barriers were erected at each chicane.-Race:... |
POR 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 22, 1996 at Autódromo do Estoril in Estoril, Portugal. Jacques Villeneuve won the race by overtaking Michael Schumacher on the outside while the latter was distracted by the slow moving back-marking Minardi of Giovanni Lavaggi,... |
JPN 1996 Japanese Grand Prix The 1996 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 13, 1996 at Suzuka. Jacques Villeneuve's retirement ended his small chance of the title, handing it to Damon Hill... |
175 | 1st | |||
| 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... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 5 | Ret | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle... |
2 | Ret | 2 | 1 | 11 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | Ret |