Posted on Monday 04 Jul 2011
THE WILLIAMS-RENAULT PARTNERSHIP
The Williams-Renault partnership was one of the most successful and enduring chassis-engine partnerships of the 1990s. Radical innovation, technical superiority and a dominating pace were to become the hallmarks of the Anglo-French alliance.
Over nine seasons, the partnership achieved five Constructors’ crowns, four Drivers’ titles and 63 race wins.
The Timeline:
1988 Williams and Renault announced an engine supply agreement for the following season, marking the return of the French marque to top flight motorsport.
1989 Williams scored two victories in their first year of collaboration with Renault. Belgian Thierry Boutsen sealed the first victory in Canada after just six races and followed that with a win in Australia. Taking second in the Constructors’ Championship at the close of the year, the partnership was looking promising.
1990 The season started well with an early victory for Riccardo Patrese in San Marino. Although the team scored one more victory in Hungary with Boutsen, it ended the year in fourth but the foundations were already laid for the radical 1991 FW14 equipped with various cutting edge aerodynamic and electronic innovations.
1991 Briton Nigel Mansell was persuaded to delay his retirement from F1 and join Williams for the 1991 season alongside Patrese. The pair took the fight to the McLaren duo taking the team to second position in the Constructor standings at the close of the season, scoring seven wins along the way, including a memorable victory at the British Grand Prix.
1992 The Williams-Renaults dominated the 1992 season. In the FW14B (powered by a 3.5 litre V10 Renault engine, and featuring a semi automatic gearbox, active suspension, traction control and advanced aerodynamics), Mansell dominated the Championship, winning the first five races of the year. He sealed a further four wins to win the title at the mid-season Hungarian Grand Prix; to date, the earliest a title has been won during a season. Patrese scored one win in Japan and Williams-Renault took the first of their five Constructors’ titles.
1993 A new driver line-up in 1993 saw Frenchman Alain Prost join the team, with Damon Hill getting his Formula One debut. The FW15C dominated the field claiming ten wins: seven for Prost and three consecutive victories for Hill. Prost eased to his fourth Drivers’ crown and Williams-Renault secured their second Constructors’ title with exactly double the amount of points of second-placed McLaren.
1994 Tragedy hit the 1994 season when Ayrton Senna crashed and was killed at Imola. In a testimony to the team’s resilience, but in no way a consolation, the team retained the Constructors’ title. Later in the year the Williams-Renault partnership was extended for a further three seasons, while a three year project run in conjunction with Renault to race Lagunas in the British Touring Car Championship was also announced.
1995 The Benetton-Renault/Michael Schumacher package provided the only genuine threat to the Williams-Renaults throughout the season. Hill was joined by David Coulthard, who had impressed on his racing debut the previous year. Hill took four wins with Coulthard securing his maiden win in Portugal. The team finished the year second in the Constructors’ title, while Williams Touring Car Engineering claimed its first Manufacturers' title for Renault in the BTCC.
1996 Indycar Champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve replaced Coulthard for 1996, while Hill remained for a title onslaught. It was to be another year of domination for the Williams-Renault partnership, with wins in all but four races in 1996. Hill wrapped up the title in Japan and Williams-Renault took its fourth Constructors’ title.
1997 Heinz-Harald Frentzen partnered Villeneuve for the final year of the Williams-Renault partnership. In a fitting end to an outstandingly successful partnership, the alliance secured the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles with eight wins. Williams Touring Car Engineering also won all three Championships in the BTCC, including the Drivers', Manufacturers' and Team Trophies.
The Stats
• Williams-Renault; a nine year relationship between 1989 – 1997
• 146 race entries (a quarter of all Williams F1 entries have been powered by Renault engines)
• Five Constructors’ Championships: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
• Four Drivers' titles: Mansell (1992), Prost (1993), Hill (1996) and Villeneuve (1997)
• 63 race wins (equates to more than 50% of Williams victories powered by Renault)
• 69 fastest laps (out of Williams’ total of 130)
• 79 pole positions (out of Williams’ total of 126)
• Taking the Championship at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August, Nigel Mansell won the 1992 Drivers’ title in record time, leading most races from pole to finish
• A record breaking 24 successive pole positions during the 1992 – 1993 season
• 15 out of a possible 16 poles secured in one season – achieved in both 1992 and 1993, a record
• 12 victories in 1996 – the highest number Williams has take in one season
• 17 one-two finishes (out of Williams’ total 33)
• 46 front row lockouts
• 31 races led from pole to victory
• 6 races before the first Williams-Renault victory
• The Williams FW14B and FW15C: two of the most technologically advanced cars that will ever race in Formula One
Credit: Williams F1 (www.williamsf1.com)
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