Team AT&T Williams
History in F1
Founded by Sir Frank Williams in 1977, Williams is one of the major players on the F1 circuit. For this season, it has teamed up with telecom giant, AT&T. Williams is a formidable competitor, having entered its first F1 Championship season in 1977 and winning both Drivers and Constructors' Championships in 1980. The team has since won nine Constructors' Championships and stands side-by-side with Ferrari and McLaren as the only three teams in F1 to have won 100 races or more. In 1986, Frank Williams suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a car accident in France. Although he is in constant pain and is confined to a wheelchair, he remains the Team Principal to date. Some of the most famous F1 drivers have driven for Williams, including Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, to mention just a few. In fact, F1 racing legend Ayrton Senna died, while driving a Williams car in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Williams has impressive statistics, having won nine Constructors' Championships and seven Drivers' Championships over the years. The team have completed 524 races, with 113 race victories. For the 2010 F1 Season, Williams in betting on Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and German Nico Hulkenberg, with Finnish Valtteri Bottas as test driver. It is using the Wiliams FW32 chassis with Cosworth CA2010 engine.
Technical Details & Statistics
Williams history with Cosworth dates way back and Williams was using Cosworth engine to power its cars back in 2006. For the 2010 Season, Williams is back with Cosworth and is using an updated version of the Cosworth V8-engine it used back in 2006. The FW32 - all Williams cars are categorized with FW, denoting Frank Williams - chasses is new for 2010 and was first unveiled at a test at Silverstone in January 2010. The car uses carbon-fiber and honeycomb composite monocoque chassis and Cosworth CA-2010 2.4L V8 engine.
Base: Grove (UK)
Team Principal: Frank Williams
Main drivers: Rubens Barrichello & Nico Hulkenberg
Engine: Cosworth CA2010
Chassis: FW32
Debut F1 Season: 1977
World Championship Titles: 9
Highest race finish: 1 (x113)
Pole Position: 125
Fastest lap times: 130
Drivers
Driver 1: Rubens Barrichello
Barrichello rose to fame as Michael Schumacher's driving partner for Ferrari. After Schumacher, he remains the most experienced F1 driver on the circuit and this year is driving for the AT&T Williams Team, after having driven for Brawn GP in 2009. Over-shadowed in the part by teammate Schumacher, Barrichello was always just the runner-up and never the winner. He has yet to win a F1 Championship, although he came second in 2002 and 2004. If all goes well, Barrichello will drive his 300th race this season, probably at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Driver Statistics:
Nationality: Brazil
Date of Birth: 23 May 1972
World Championship Titles: 0
Number of Grand Prix won: 11
Pole Positions: 14
Career Points: 612
Podiums: 68
Driver 2: Nico Hukenberg
Aged only 23, Hulkenberg is a newcomer to F1 this season, having driven his first F1 race at that Bahrain Grand Prix this year. He has been elevated from test driver status in the Williams teams this year. He has rose up from the ranks by being the Formula Three Euroseies and A1 Grand Prix champion. Although with mixed results so far in the F1 season (14th race one, retired race two, 10th race 3 and 15th race four), Hulkenberg is a talented driver and a driver to keep an eye out for. He just needs more experience on the F1 track.
Driver Statistics:
Nationality: Germany
Date of Birth: 19 August 1987
World Championship Titles: 0
Number of Grand Prix won: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Career Points: 1
Podiums: 0