Overview

www.williamsf1.co.uk

Once the very definition of success, Williams have been in the grip of a seemingly endless decline for the past several years. Founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and designer Patrick Head (following failed entries dating back to the sixties), the team has since claimed well over one hundred race victories, seven drivers' titles and nine constructors' titles - putting them second only to Ferrari on the all time list and becoming statistically Britain's most successful Formula One team in the process. However, recent seasons have brought challenges both on-and-off track and the team face an uphill battle to add to their impressive trophy collection.

Williams in its current form was established in 1977, and that season saw the team run a single customer March, without success. In response, the team entered the following season with Patrick Head's first F1 creation - the FW06. There were immediate signs of hope, with no-nonsense Australian Alan Jones piloting the car to several points finishes, including a maiden podium in theUnited States. With the introduction of the FW07 midway through the 1979 campaign the team made a remarkable breakthrough, taking their first victory at Silverstone and following it up with four more victories from the final six races. Although too late to mount an attempt on that year's title, Williams ended the decade as genuine contenders.

It was form that carried into 1980, as Jones took five wins on his way to securing both championships for the delighted team. The Aussie was unable to defend his title the following season, but Williams secured a second constructors' trophy in as many years with four wins. In 1982 the team lost their crown, although consolation came in the form of new recruit Keke Rosberg winning the drivers' title courtesy of a single win inSwitzerland. The next two years were to prove difficult with the resurgence of the team's rivals, but Williams hit back in 1985 by winning the final three events of the season. It was an ominous warning for 1986, in which the team's partnership of Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet reclaimed the constructors' prize for the team, only to narrowly miss out on the drivers' title in the final round. The situation was remedied the following year, both titles returning to Grove when Nelson Piquet triumphed over his British team-mate to secure a third world championship. However, at the end of the season engine suppliers Honda jumped ship to join McLaren, and their absence put Williams largely out of contention for the remainder of the decade.

As the nineties opened, Williams were well settled with new partners Renault. Their return to the winners' circle was enough to tempt Nigel Mansell back to the team, and in 1991 the team won seven races, falling short of both titles by a whisker. There would be no such mistakes in 1992, as Mansell recorded nine victories and secured the spoils for both parties. His joy was to be short-lived, as negotiations broke down and he was replaced by triple world champion Alain Prost in 1993. The Frenchman wasted no time in adding a fourth title to his personal tally, and Williams again came out on top. Tragedy would strike the team the following season as star signing Ayrton Senna was killed at Imola, but the outfit rallied around Damon Hill as the Briton challenged for the title - and the team took a third consecutive constructors' trophy. There were no honours the following year as Michael Schumacher extended his dominance with Benetton, but with the German's move to Ferrari in 1996 the door was opened for Hill to steal the title in the final round, with Williams again doing the double. Surprisingly, the reigning world champion was sacked and it was team-mate Jacques Villenueve who took the honours in 1997, Williams claiming yet another title. Unfortunately, Renault withdrew their engine supply at the end of the season, and Williams were again plunged into the midfield by the end of the nineties.

A new millennium was marked by a new partnership with BMW, the German manufacturer delivering arguably the best engines on the grid to the Grove-based squad. They began to make use of them in 2001, the team's pairing of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya taking four wins. Ferrari's dominance limited Williams to a single triumph in 2002, but by 2003 the team were ready to challenge for the title once more. They did just that, Montoya posing a strong threat to Schumacher and securing the runner-up spot in the constructors' standings for a second consecutive year. The team were poised to fight at the front again in 2004, but a daring design failed to pay off and the team managed only one victory, at the season finale inBrazil. A new line-up of Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld produced podiums but not the expected wins in 2005, and BMW grew impatient - the contract was ripped up and for the next three seasons Williams used Cosworth power, with distinctly mixed results. In the hands of Nico Rosberg the car often achieved solid results, including the team's last podium to date at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix - a race that could have been won if it were not for the German receiving a stop-go penalty.

A new decade ushered in another all-new pairing, veteran Rubens Barrichello pairing rookie Nico Hulkenberg. The young German gave the team their first pole position in five years at a wet qualifying session inBrazil, but was dropped eight days later as the team was struck by financial difficulties. GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado brought sponsorship to the team in 2011, but it could not prevent the squad suffering the worst season in their history, the underperforming FW33 racking up just five points by the end of the season. Unsurprisingly, the team's top technical staff resigned.

For 2012, Williams' money difficulties have become even more apparent with the signing of Bruno Senna to partner Maldonado. However, Williams fans retain hope - the new technical department is headed by controversial McLaren designer Mike Coughlan, whilst team founders Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head have stepped down from the board in favour of new blood. The team has renewed its successful engine partnership with Renault, and under business-minded CEO Adam Parr the team is developing income streams outside Formula 1, supplying chassis to the F2 series, developing a supercar with Jaguar and supplying KERS units to Porsche's racing division. There are real changes afoot at Grove, but whether it will be enough for the team to fight their way back to the front remains to be seen. It won't be easy, but perhaps Williams' greatest asset is that they are racers through-and-through.