The Williams FW20 was the car with which the Williams Formula One team competed in the 1998 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Jacques Villeneuve, the reigning champion, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who was in his second year with the team.
 The FW20 of Heinz-Harald Frentzen on display at Williams Conference Centre | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Williams | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Patrick Head (Technical Director) Gavin Fisher (Chief Designer) Brian O'Roake (Chief Composites Engineer) Mark Tatham (Chief Mechanical Engineer) Geoff Willis (Head of Aerodynamics) Jason Somerville (Principal Aerodynamicist) Nick Alcock (Principal Aerodynamicist) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Williams FW19 | ||||||||||
| Successor | Williams FW21 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon-fibre monocoque | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Williams torsion bar/double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Williams coil-spring/double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Engine | Renault (branded as Mecachrome) GC37/01 V10 (71°) naturally aspirated mid-engine | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Williams 6-speed longitudinal semi-automatic sequential | ||||||||||
| Power | 775 hp (578 kW) @ 15,600 rpm[1] | ||||||||||
| Fuel | Castrol | ||||||||||
| Lubricants | Castrol | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Winfield Williams | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 1.  Jacques Villeneuve2.  Heinz-Harald Frentzen | ||||||||||
| Debut | 1998 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 1998 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
Design
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The team was adversely affected by the departure of Chief Designer Adrian Newey to McLaren, and Renault's withdrawal from F1 as an engine supplier. Newey and Renault had made Williams the dominant team of the early and mid-1990s. Newey had departed at the end of 1996, but his input had gone into the FW19 for 1997, so the FW20 was the first Williams car since 1990 that did not directly bear his design, although it cosmetically resembled the FW19 wilth journalist Joe Saward noting the FW20 followed the same basic design concept as the FW19 with adaptations made to comply with 1998 regulations.[2][3] The car was equipped with a Mecachrome-badged version of what was essentially the previous year's engine. Also gone was the highly distinctive blue and white Rothmans livery, as the company had decided to promote its Winfield brand.[4]
At the car's launch, Patrick Head and Geoff Willis admitted that the FW20 was a fairly conservative design but stressed that they were still hopeful of being competitive.[2]
Season summary
edit1998 was very disappointing compared to the previous championship-winning campaign. The team endured their first winless season since 1988 and finished a distant third in the Constructors' Championship, with three podiums and no wins, a long way behind McLaren and Ferrari.[5]
Villeneuve was unhappy with the season and had no chance to defend his title. He signed with the new British American Racing team for 1999, and Frentzen departed to Jordan after two seasons spent largely in the shadow of his teammate.[6]
Sponsorship and livery
editWilliams used 'Winfield' logos, except at the French, British and German Grands Prix, it was replaced with a Winfield kangaroo emblem and a leaping kangaroo. In French, Veltins logo was completely removed.
The Universal Studios and Woody Woodpecker logos was featured on the nose cone in certain Grands Prix. At the Australian Grand Prix, the team promoted the film, Blues Brothers 2000, also featured on the nose cone.
Later use
editOn December 1999, an FW20 was painted in white livery, fitted with a BMW V10 engine and ran on Bridgestone tyres. The car was test driven by Jörg Müller.
Complete Formula One results
edit(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Williams | Mecachrome V10 | G | AUS | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | AUT | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | LUX | JPN | 38 | 3rd | |
| Jacques Villeneuve | 5 | 7 | Ret | 4 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 6 | ||||||
| Heinz-Harald Frentzen | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 15† | Ret | Ret | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
References
edit- AUTOCOURSE 1998-99, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1998) ISBN 1-874557-43-8
- ^ "Engine Mecachrome". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Williams FW20". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Williams FW20 - F1technical.net".
- ^ "Rothmans To Discontinue Sponsorship to Williams Formula One Team". www.sportcal.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Beginning of the end- Williams FW20 #blogpost". Car Throttle. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "The Revolving Door of Williams". atlasf1.autosport.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
External links
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Media related to Williams FW20 at Wikimedia Commons
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