Information about Williams

History of Williams in F1

The Williams team first appeared in Formula One racing in 1975 and has proved a worthy team over the years. In their first season they scored six points and finished in ninth and it took a few years before they won their maiden Grand Prix in 1979. The following season saw a double victory in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships before tragedy struck in 1986, when Frank Williams was seriously hurt in an accident. He proved his commitment to the team and even though he suffers constant pain, he is still in charge of the team for the 2009 campaign. 1992 saw another driver and constructors brace, with Nigel Mansell claiming victory in the first five races before winning the title. Before his retirement in 1993, Alain Prost wins his fourth championship title, and then tragedy struck again in 1994 with the death of Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna at Imola. In a subdued season following the fatal accident, Williams won the constructors’ championship. Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve win back to back titles in 1996 and 1997, as do the team, and 2003 saw Williams take the runner-up place behind Ferrari. Last year they finished in an unsatisfactory eighth place and they will be looking to improve considerably in 2009.

Williams information

The Williams team has won a notable 9 championships and Frank Williams is the team principal. Williams use the Bridgestone Potenza tyres, a Toyota engine and a FW31 chassis. The team is based in Grove, England, and has earned 125 pole positions and 113 wins. Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima have been named as the primary drivers for the 2009 season.

Technical details and statistics

Williams’ interpretation of the new diffuser regulations is highly innovative and they have lowered the diffuser’s central section in comparison to the outer sections. However, the rear crash structure has been reshaped to create a second central section, which means there is now a central section that exceeds the 175mm restriction but due to the second central section, it doesn’t apply.

Base: Grove, England
Team principal: Frank Williams
Main drivers: Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima
Engine: Toyota
Chassis: FW31
Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
Debut F1 season: 1975
World Championship titles: 9
Highest race finish: 1st (x113)
Pole positions: 125
Fastest lap times: 129

Driver no.1: Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg was born in the German town of Wiesbaden and had a good start to his racing career in 2002, when he claimed the title of Formula ADAC Champion. This won him a test seat for Williams and a place in the record books as the youngest ever man to drive an F1 car. For the next two years, Rosberg won four races in the Formula Three Euro Series before going on to win the GP2 in 2005, which earned him a place in the Williams team for 2006. The German finished 14th in his first season and ninth in 2007, but he dropped to a disappointing 13th in 2008, partly due to his FW30’s lack luster race pace.

Statistics
Nationality: German
Date of birth: 27/06/1985
World Championship titles: 0
Number of Grands Prix won: 0
Pole positions: 0
Career points: 41
Podiums: 2

Driver no.2: Kazuki Nakajima

Kazuki Nakajima was born in Aichi and is the only Japanese national to race in 2009. He started his career with championship victory at the Formula Toyota Series and went on to race in the Japanese Formula Three Series for the next two years, finishing runner-up in 2005. He made history in the following year by becoming the first driver from Toyota’s Development Programme to move up into the world of Formula One as a test driver for Williams. Nakajima earned his seat as a race driver in 2007 after securing six podium finishes in the GP2 and continual testing with Williams. His first F1 campaign in 2008 was a decent debut year and he has been retained by Williams for 2009 after collecting 9 points.

Statistics
Nationality: Japanese
Date of birth: 11/01/1985
World Championship titles: 0
Number of Grands Prix won: 0
Pole positions: 0
Career points: 9
Podiums: 0